Crylante

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Crylantian Federation
Lilledic: Crylantje Føderation
Rigjordic: Forbund af Crylante
Nausikaan: Krylänti Valaliitto

A white stripe on a dark blue background.
Flag
Coat of arms of Crylante
Coat of arms
Motto: "Vi skriver vores egne skæbner!"
"Nås scri jås nostre fattejes!"
"Me kirjoitamme omat kohtalimme"
"We Write Our Own Destinies"
File:Crylante In Lhedwin.png
CapitalNebligen
LargestSønderburg
Official languagesLilledic
Rigjordic
Nausikaan
Recognised regional languagesVeye
Vaniric
Ethnic groups
(2015)
33% Lilledic
23% Rigjordic
15% Nausikaan
11% Mainland Asuran (4% Cuirpthean, 3% Newreyan, 2% Lhaeraidh, 1% Midrasian, 1% Atrescan)
9% Other Lhedwinic (4% Navish, 3% Glanish, 2% Crethian)
5% Catainese
2% Arabekhi
1% Majulan
1% Veye
Demonym(s)Crylantian
GovernmentConfederal multi-party consociationalist directorial republic with significant elements of direct democracy
• Directors
Ljana Vescovi
Arto Karppinen
Jenný Anadottir
Sarja de Kvinte
Arður Troelsen
Natalja Lablanck
Rikard Steinsson
LegislatureGreat Council
States' Assembly
People's Assembly
Establishment
• Duchy of Sønderburg
1021
• Crylantian Empire
1302
• Personal Union with tir Lhaeraidd
1557
• Accession to the United Kingdom of Lhedwin
1799
• Independence of Lilledel, Rigjord and Nausikaa
1900
• Unification
1915
• Accession of Aversi
1916
• Acession of Nixoperuit
1921
• Current Constitution
1941
Area
• 
97,294 km2 (37,565 sq mi)
• Water (%)
9.1%
Population
• 2016 estimate
3,871,868
• 2014 census
3,869,192
• Density
39.796/km2 (103.1/sq mi)
GDP (PPP)2016 estimate
• Total
$229.5 billion
• Per capita
$59,276
GDP (nominal)2016 estimate
• Total
$257 billion
• Per capita
$66,389
Gini (2016)Positive decrease 26.9
low
HDI (2016)Increase 0.950
very high
CurrencyHurten (HTN)
Time zoneUTC-1 (West Asuran Standard Time)
• Summer (DST)
UTC+0 (West Asuran Summer Time)
Date formatdd/mm/yyyy, AD
Driving sideright
Calling code+41
Internet TLD.cc

Crylante, officially the Crylantian Federation (pronounced: /krɪlɑːnteɪ̯/; Lilledic: Crylantje Føderation pronounced: [kʁ̥əˈɫanɕə ˌfœð̞ʁəɕˈjuːn], Rigjordic: Forbund af Crylante pronounced: [ˈfɒːbɔnˀ æˀ kʰʁ̥yˈlænd̥ə], Nausikaan: Krylänti Valaliitto pronounced: [ˈkrylænti ˈʋɑlɑliːtto]) is a Lhedwinic nation consisting of the southern portion of the Lhedwinic mainland, as well as surrounding islands and the Nausikaan archipelago. It only borders one other nation, Navack, which borders it to the north on a border marked largely with mountains.

A federal multi-party directorial republic, Crylante is divided up into 21 states, often called Stadelles/Jords, which are further divided into municipalities, of which there are 376, and maintains thorough direct democratic elements in it's government, with a complex system of referenda in place, where if a petition gets 20,000 signatures it is put to vote by referenda, and the federal budget has to be approved by referenda. Crylante maintains a unique system of executive power when compared to the rest of Aeia, with a directorial executive structure, consisting of seven individuals who are collectively head of state and government, and can collectively hold the confidence of a majority of both houses in Crylante's bicameral legislature, the Storting/Remsting/Suurineuvosto, consisting of the Assembly of the States and the Assembly of the People. It also controls the overseas territory of the Vanir Islands, in the Jade Ocean, which was inherited by the Grand Duchy of Lilledel after the breakup of Lhedwin in 1900.

Crylante came into being following the breakup of the United Kingdom of Lhedwin after the Great War of 1895-1899, in which the south of the Kingdom was split between the Grand Duchy of Lilledel, the Commonwealth of Rigjord and the Republic of Nausikaa, which re-unified and took the Newreyan Protectorate of Aversi, prompting a three-week war in which the city of Lentini was badly damaged, resulting in a declaration of neutrality.

Crylante maintains a high standard of living for it's citizens, using relatively low federal tax rates to fund a functioning welfare state, which provides unemployment and child benefits, pensions, paid maternity leave, free education, disability benefits and free healthcare to it's people. As a result of this, Crylante has developed a very high ranking on the human development index, and a low rating on the GINI coefficient. It is also a rather socially liberal country, with some of the most progressive laws in Aeia concerning LGBT rights, gender equality and drug legalization. In terms of demographics, 29% of the country identify as non-ethnic Crylantians, and 51% of Crylante are followers of Trúathi, followed by 31% being irreligious, 11% being Alydian, 4% following Luhenye Aptar and 2% following Pagan religion.

The Crylantian economy is driven by the mining and processing of precious metals from the industrial heartlands into jewelry, pharmaceuticals, tourism focused both on snow sports in the Crylantian Mountains and the historic cities of Crylante such as Nebligen, Neititsnot, Sønderburg, Lentini, Lillehavn and Dybøll, fruit farming in the rural eastern parts of the country, and large amounts of chocolate production, especially in the city of Dybøll. The city of Lillehavn is known for it's large financial industry, due to the state's low taxes. Crylante generates most of it's energy using geothermal power plants, located deep into the Crylantian mountains. Despite the nation being known for its state of neutrality and lack of a standing military, the former of these two attributes has been questioned in recent years, with Crylante becoming an observer to the Aeian Community, despite the government's claims it is merely for economic purposes.

Etymology

It is thought that "Crylante" is derived from an Old Crylantian word for 'mountain range', a reference to the range of mountains spanning the northeast of the federation. This effectively means that the name 'Crylantian Mountains', often given to the area, translates to "Mountain Range Mountains", which is known to be an interesting fact used by the tourism industry. The name for 'Nebligen', the capital city, is thought to have come from an old Lhedwinic word for 'misty', a reference to the mist that often covers the city.

History

Ancient Crylante (before 7th century CE)

File:Collage of Lentini Stone Monuments JPEG.jpg
The Lentini Monuments are some of the first man-made structures in Aeia.

The first recorded evidence of human settlement in Crylante is from 20000 BCE, with human bones in the southeastern fertile plains of Aversi, Glostrup, Gunderslev, Kattinge, Stavrup and Vestplan, which were mostly hunter-gatherer societies. The evidence found suggests that they hunted animals such as wolves, and ate wild berries that they found, and believed in an animistic set of beliefs, judging from cave paintings found in the locality.

The first recorded settlement is Amarissa, in modern-day Gunderslev, in 8000 BCE, which displayed an important shift from a hunter-gatherer society to an agrarian one in Crylante. The settlement had evidence of cherry farms and sheep farms, and there have been cave paintings showing similar animist undertones. These settlements grew in the subsequent years, and around 3000 BCE there were many settlements dotted around the plains.

The Lentini Stone Alignments also date from this time, though very little is known about the culture that built them and it is believed that it was made extinct. Evidence of continuation of the Alignments under Lofthus Bay suggest that the island was once connected to the mainland, but rising sea levels cut it off.

The earliest evidence of the use of bronze in these settlements is from 900 BCE, with the discovery of a bronze sword in a burial mound dating from that time. The civilization started advancing technologically quite quickly after that, with a writing system thought to have been invented in around 500 BCE, due to marks found on stone tablets from that time which appear to be writing. A rusted iron sword was seen in a grave from around 0 CE, which implies that they found out how to smelt iron around that time.

More evidence of settlement in the bays of the west is from 100 BCE, whom had developed the technology to be able to build small fishing boats, and it is evident that they sustained themselves off of both self-grown berries and fish that they had caught. They are known to have built elaborate burial mounds for their dead, with elaborate stone paintings showing paintings of a female goddess. DNA testing has shown that the people in question have a genetic link to the people of the Asuran Empire, which is often attributed as to why the people in West Crylante speak West Crylantian, a language unrelated to any nearby.

A settlement on Lentini Island, with the advanced technology of the small civilization in the bay, has been found dating back to 300 CE. The styles of houses, and burials, are very different, with stone circle huts and small graves in the ground lined with stone, as opposed to the burial mounds and grass-roofed houses built on the bay. However, DNA testing shows similar genetics to the bay people.

A very elaborate ship from 475 CE at the bottom of the bay has been found, with objects resembling shields and weapons found scattered around it. This suggests that they had made significant progress in the art of shipbuilding, and were building battleships around that time.

The bay culture and the plains culture started developing into small, organized communities in the early 6th century CE, each governed by a thing generally composed of the druids and warriors of the community. These communities were widespread by approximately 575 CE, and each governed a village. The people living in these things followed an animistic set of beliefs, it is thought, though little is known about Crylantian religious beliefs before the arrival of Truathism. The society persisted as a set of confederal things for the majority of the 6th and 7th centuries, often called the Old Congregation.

The Dalish Era (late 7th century to 1021 CE)

A reconstruction of an 8th century house in Marnehus.

By the 7th century, the West Crylantians had extended their tribal confederation to include almost all of modern-day Crylante, bar some of the Crylantian Mountains. However, their society would be put to an end by the arrival of Dalish people from modern-day Navack and Glanodel, bringing with them the religion of Trúathi.

These people invaded much of eastern Crylante, pillaging many settlements on the way and enslaving many of the natives. However, the West of Crylante was able to resist; while the Dalish were drawn to the vast plains of the east, the hilly terrain of the west was undesirable to them and they thus left the locals alone, apart from sending missionaries to convert the population to Trúathi, leading to a heavily Truathist population by the late 9th century.

As the 10th century began, many in search of new land and riches sailed into the Lhedwinic travel, performing raids and conversions on coastal towns of modern-day Cuirpthe and Newrey, spreading Trúathi to coastal towns in both nations.

The proto-Crylantians of both Dalish and Fiorentian origin eventually started developing more complex social structures and building up settlements; a growing social structure of a priest class, a warrior class and a commoner class was developed, in which the commoners worked for warriors as they pleased in the exchange for a salary, and could move as they pleased, while an assembly of all warriors and priests would govern a small region, often electing a leader among them to lead them in battle.

Many of these societies developed, and skirmished, but one of the most powerful that developed was the Duchy of Sønderburg, based around the fishing town of Sønderburg. Originally controlling much of modern-day Sønderburg and Haverslev, in 1018 a young warrior called Magnus with great plans was chosen as the Duke of Sønderburg, who had great aspirations of conquest. Within a year, much of the west was under his control, and by 1021 much of the east was under his control, presenting the first unified Crylantian state.

Medieval Crylante (1021 to 1543 CE)

The Duchy of Sønderburg (1021 to 1301 CE)

An artist of the time's impression of Duke Magnus.

Duke Magnus I started off his reign by encouraging the advancement of education amongst the people, to advance Crylantian culture and the Crylantian people, and Crylante led to a golden age through his 21-year reign, with large developments in mathematics, medicine and literature happening during his reign, and he was known as Magnus the Benevolent. He died in 1042 at a minor skirmish keeping away a group of thieves and bandits from attacking the city of Dybøll, and he is remembered as a great hero towards the Crylantian people.

Also, compared to many other Asuran nations at the time, the lower classes of the Duchy of Sønderburg were treated rather well, being given the right to move freely around the Duchy, pledge themselves to whichever warrior or priest they wished, and sometimes the children of peasants were given the privilege of moving up and being raised a warrior or priest.

One other thing that is notable about the Duchy of Sønderburg is that there were a significant amount of women in the warrior and priest classes, and also that there was little stigma about homosexual relations, with many Crylantian dukes and duchesses, even Magnus the Benevolent, being claimed to be bisexual, but marriage was still seen as being a ceremony between a man and a woman due to a marriage being seen as a union to raise children in. While Truathi was the state religion, people of different religions were allowed to live in the Duchy of Sønderburg if they paid a special tax directly to their king.

During the time of the Duchy, ship burials were common among Crylantian warriors.

After Magnus the Benevolent's death, he was succeeded by Duchess Johanna the Fearless, a renowned warrior from the island of Aversi. She is known for having continued her predecessor's policies of encouraging culture and education, as well as starting the Northern Campaign, an eighty year long campaign to take the mountains of Nixoperuit back from the rogues and bandits and put them under the control of the Duchy. Over her thirty-three years as leader, dying in 1075 due to blunt force trauma from a rock thrown at her head, she managed to take quite a large portion of the mountains, pushing the border up past the outskirts of Dybøll to deep within the mountains.

The process of the succession of the monarchy went on, peacefully through the years, with the elective monarchy, the Remsting/Storting and the Parumstings/Lilletings persisting as the method of government within Crylante. In 1124, the nation succeeded in taking the entire area of the mountains, incorporating it into the nation, but the nation's exclaves along the north Asuran coast were returned to the nations they had been stolen from.

The Civil War (1301 CE)

A painting from the early 1300s, thought to be of the war.

In January 1301 Duchess Johanna IV died of a heart attack, and when she died her son Alexander was elected as the Duke, by a very small margin of one vote, with high unpopularity among the warriors and priests. Marcus of Badessa, the man who had lost by one vote, lead a campaign to overthrow the young monarch and put him in power. By March the nation was in civil war, with Marcus capturing the entire Bay of Lentini-Badessa by the November of that year. Over the next few months they made significant gains, by March having reached Dybøll and by June having pushed Duke Alexander out to Aversi.

Marcus was crowned the Monarch of the Crylantian Empire, taking the name of his new state from the mountain range in the northeast. He reformed the monarchy, giving peasants the right to sit on a Parumsting/Lilleting, but declaring the monarchy to be a hereditary position, instead of an elected one, with the eldest child of the monarch taking over when they died, believing that the goddess Freya would choose a rightful monarch to succeed the previous one.

The Crylantian Empire (1302 to 1543 CE)

Marcus founded the House of Lofthus, and moved the capital of the nation to Dybøll, considering it a more central area to govern the nation from. He was considered a strong, but benevolent leader, and he ruled for around 30 years before his son, Gaius, elevated to the position of Monarch. One of Gaius' first acts was to reform the five Parumstings/Lilletings of Nebligen, Sønderburg, Dybøll, Lentini and Lillehavn into "Free Cities", in which all workers would be sorted into "guilds" based on their specialty, which would each choose delegates to a Byting/Urbsting, which would manage the affairs of the Free City.

A collection of Empire-era guild signs.

However, the nation's monarchy eventually became weak and power was devolved further to the Parumstings/Lilletings and Bytings/Urbstings, and the Storting/Remsting started authorizing the creation of many more Parumstings/Lilletings and Bytings/Urbstings, making the nation what is sometimes called a "confederal monarchy". By 1451 it was estimated that there were around 253 subdivisions of the Empire, which all had a significant amount of power, and thus the Monarch and the Storting/Remsting had very little power over the affairs of the nation. A judicial court was also created to solve disputes between the various subdivisions, called the Lovting/Lexting.

However, the confederal monarchy came to an end when Sven I ascended to the title of Monarch in 1521, and he centralized the nation much more and abolished much of the subdivisions, returning the nation to the five Bytings/Urbstings and the twelve Parumstings/Lilletings seen before the mass devolution of power. His rule led to a crisis in the mountainous northern region, now united under the Parumsting/Lilleting of Nixoperuit, in which they tried to secede from the nation to retain the power they had gained. While the central government resisted, it eventually let them secede and they formed a new country called County Nixoperuit, a very decentralized elective monarchy.

Early Modern Crylante (1543 to 1899 CE)

Magnus VII and Lhaeraidh Rule (1543 to 1799 CE)

In 1543, Magnus VII, Sven I's brother, came to the throne after Sven I's twin daughter and son died in still unexplained circumstance. It is believed by some that Magnus VII was responsible for their deaths, however others believe they died of an untreatable illness. Magnus was a fairly insignificant leader throughout much of his reign; he did nothing to address the struggles of County Nixoperuit and very little policy was changed during his reign. However, his death in 1557 left no heir, he had a sister but she was not interested in being a Monarch. However, on his mother's side he was the first cousin, once removed of Teyrn Llewellyn V of tir Lhaeraidd, who made a claim to the throne of the Crylantian Empire which he took with a small army later that year and was crowned Herre Llewellyn I of the Crylantian Empire.

A family of Lhaero-Crylantian nobles.

Little changed during Llewellyn's rule; the only major difference was that crown lands were now paying money to the Lhaeraidh government in stead of to the Monarch of the Crylantian Empire. Governors were appointed by the Teyrn from among the local nobility to manage his newly-acquired Lhedwinic lands, which were ruled more like an independent country in personal union with tir Lhaeraidd than as part of tir Lhaeraidd itself. Crylantian common law was maintained throughout the area; while this was very popular among the ethnic Crylantians the Lhaeraidh merchants were less sympathetic towards the policy as they believed it benefitted Crylantian merchants. This setup was known as the Llewellynic system, and was maintained by his successors Llewellyn II, Alwaen I and Bedwyr I.

However, the system was changed once Alwaen V was crowned Herre Alwaen II of the Crylantian Empire; he could not ignore the demands of Lhaeraidh merchants as his predecessors could due to the increasing power of the merchant class. The 17 Trúathi priests who were members of the Remsting of Crylante were stripped of their position and much of their land; the power of the secular nobility was increased and merchants were told to respect Crylantian nobles. Land reform was aggressively pursued in Crylante; this angered the peasant classes and the Crylantian merchants, who now had competition from Lhaeraidh merchants.

Plantations were pursued in Crylante; the Lhaeraidh gentry were encouraged to move to Crylante and set up plantations; large agrarian holdings of land ruled over by a member of the Lhaeraidh gentry, or members of the Crylantian nobility who had adopted Lhaeraidh customs. This plan was done to control Crylante's population, however it did not work effectively as expected and turned out very unpopular among the Trúathi clergy and the peasant classes. Serfdom in Crylante was abolished in 1694, but this had little effect on the anti-Lhaeraidh sentiment, and in 1726 Iestyn I called off Alwaen's policy on Crylante and merged what was now known as the Kingdom of Crylante with the Lordship of Vrnallia.

This merger formed the Kingdom of Crylante-Vrnallia, which existed independently in name only as it was ruled directly from Neuaddduwiaw by the Teyrn and many Crylantian-Vrnallian nationalist groups wished to join the United Kingdom of Lhedwin.

A painting of Crylantian riots by a Navish artist.

While the plantation system had worked for the Lhaeraidh, it had not worked for the local Crylantians whose discontent had been amplified by it. The discontent was only kept in control by the obedience of the local nobility and the liberal policies of the central government, but the prominent uprising in 1791 in Vrnallia had spread its message to Crylante and Lhedwinic nationalist sentiment grew, even in West Crylantian circles. Revolts became a daily occurrence in Crylante in the 1790's, and a famous writer of the time was quoted as saying that "nobody in their right mind in Nebligen would leave their house at night" in reference to this. Eventually Teyrn Eurig I disbanded the Kingdom, and the Crylantian Free State came into existence.

The United Kingdom of Lhedwin (1799 to 1895 CE)

The Crylantian Free State was in existence for only three days, as a makeshift legislature hastily elected on the second day voted unanimously to join the United Kingdom of Lhedwin. One of the King's sons was appointed as the Prince of Crylante, and a regional legislature was created, named the Storting/Remsting in reference to the original body that existed when Crylante was independent. Elections were called, with suffrage for all over 30, but the constituency boundaries were intentionally drawn to underrepresent West Crylantians and Truathists, with a faction called the Herlige gaining a landslide majority.

Sven Magnusson, a Prime Minister of Crylante from 1814-1823.

This faction was a strong believer in the supremacy of East Crylantian over West Crylantian culture, as well as in the Lhedwinic nobility and Aptaran values. They used their massive majority in the Storting/Remsting to force through many highly unpopular policies such as the ban on the public use of the West Crylantian language and the ban on public worship of Trúathi, despite a large majority of Crylante being Trúathi.

These policies caused uproars, and there were mass protests in the country against them, which were violently crushed by the Lhedwinic army. The Herlige also sought the aggressive industrialization of Crylante; many workers were forced off the farms and into the towns of Nebligen, Sønderburg, Dybøll, Lentini and Lillehavn where they worked in factories. Much of rural Crylante was turned into estates for the Lhedwinic nobility, with the remaining farmland, mostly in the plains of Eastern Crylante, being owned directly by these nobles.

The industrialization worked in some part; Crylante's economy moved from agriculture towards mining in the northern mountains of Nixoperuit and Haverslev, and production of goods in the cities; cocoa beans were imported from the United Kingdom's colonies and sent to the city of Dybøll to be processed into chocolate, a luxury product that the upper classes enjoyed.

It was at this time that the famous Crylantian author Alexandra La Blanc rose to prominence; her political novel Outsider was banned in Lhedwin and she fled to Midrasia to avoid persecution for her classical liberal and republican beliefs.

As Crylante modernized, the threat of war on the continent built up. The United Kingdom of Lhedwin aligned itself with the nations of Ohen, Ternca and Veleaz as tensions grew; an opposing alliance consisting of Midrasia and tir Lhaeraidd had also formed. Many in Crylante did not wish for war to break out; however some saw the potential war to be a great opportunity to rise up against the central government and create a Crylantian state.

Great War (1895 to 1899 CE)

An attack by a group of anti-UKL resistance fighters, painted by Anonymous.

The United Kingdom of Lhedwin inevitably declared war on Midrasia soon after its ally Veleaz did the same, leading to the start of the Great War. Many young men in Crylante were drafted into the Lhedwinic military against their will to fight in the war.

This war was the final straw for many Crylantians towards the Lhedwinic government, and soon the biggest threat that the nation faced in it's southernmost region was from its own citizens; many rebel groups rose up against the Lhedwinic government in an attempt to give Crylante its own rule.

The nobility was toppled in Nebligen in 1897, where the workers overthrew them and instated the Nebligen Commune, a radical socialist government based highly on the principles of freedom and equality. Workers worked for the personal good of them and their community, not for the benefit of the Lhedwinic nobility, and the nation was governed on a model of participatory democracy. Elsewhere in the nation, similar revolts took place.

In much of West Crylante, the Aptaran, Lhedwinic ruling class was violently forced out of the area or brutally murdered by the lower classes, who were highly discontent about their oppression. In East Crylante, farmers went on constant strike, refusing to work for the aristocracy, or produce anything at all. When the nobility tried to stop the revolts, they were met by armed resistance from the farmers.

While the Nebligen Commune came to an end due to a final attempt at order by the nobility in early 1899, the message of revolution against Lhedwin had enveloped the whole nation and the West Crylantian forces had soon overthrown the nobility's new regime over Nebligen.

By the time of the end of the Great War, the Lhedwinic government had almost no control within Crylante and had been pushed onto the other side of the Crylantian Mountains.

Modern Crylante (since 1899 CE)

Partition of Crylante (1899 to 1915 CE)

After the Great War, Crylantian seperatist groups were overjoyed at the defeat of the United Kingdom of Lhedwin. At the negotiations after the war, the United Kingdom was divided up into eight sovereign states. Three of these states resided in the territory of modern-day Crylante. These states were the Grand Duchy of West Crylante, the Federal Republic of East Crylante and the Nixoperuit Free State. Due to the fact that many Crylantians fought on the winning side against the Kingdom, they were let off the reparation payments, with the burden falling on other new nations such as Nausikaa and Navack. However, the island of Aversi was ceded to Newrey as a Protectorate as a symbolic gesture to show that Lhedwin could never re-unite.

The Grand Duchy of West Crylante had its capital in Sønderburg, and modelled its government on the Newreyan system, however the monarchy was to be elected by the general populace, not hereditary and the nation was to be subdivided into ten states which were to have significant power. The first elected monarch was Grand Duchess Liana II, who was a distant descendant of Flavia of Lofthus, the younger sister of Sven I and Magnus VII. Her family had been forced to flee from Crylante after an ancestor of hers attempted to claim the throne of Crylante in 1809; she was formerly a bartender at a pub in Lotrič, Midrasia. The nation retained stability; it managed to build up a somewhat decent economy from jewellery and pharmaceutical exports to other nations.

Sven Jakobson, first President of East Crylante.

The Federal Republic of East Crylante took a different approach, going for a republican system of government. An elected President was to control external affairs while a Prime Minister with the support of the National Assembly controlled internal affairs. The nation was composed of five jords with significant power over their territory. Its first President was former resistance fighter Sven Jakobson, and its first Prime Minister was former farmer Dagmar Katrinsdottir. The nation rebuilt itself using import tariffs and subsidies, heavily subsidising infrastructure as well as the chocolate and fruit industries.

The Nixoperuit Free State was ceremonially led by an elected Count, but in practice the tiny nation was a direct democracy, with the adult population serving as a legislature. Mining was the only way the nation managed to keep a decent economy throughout its sixteen-year existence.

Aversi was ruled over by Newrey, with its foreign affairs being managed from Cyningburgh and domestic affairs being controlled by the territory's Parliament, and like it's neighbour across the channel survived off of fruit farming and chocolate making.

The Treaty of Nebligen was signed between Nixoperuit, East Crylante and West Crylante in the year of 1909, which created a free travel area and single market between the three nations. This move gained some international criticism for possibly showing a desire for Lhedwin to re-unite, but the Treaty was passed almost unanimously by the legislatures of East and West Crylante, and was approved in a landslide by the people of Nixoperuit.

Principality of Crylante (1915 to 1941 CE)

Sven Jakobson and Prince Jakob II before signing the Act of Union.

Following the Treaty of Nebligen, the three nations developed a close bond, and talks of unifying into one Crylantian state happened. These talks became more frequent as the years progressed, and eventually on the 31st of March, 1915, a bill was put before the legislatures of East and West Crylante, and to the people of Nixoperuit, which would declare the three nations united into one nation. It passed in all three, and a constitutional assembly was created to draw up a constitution for the new nation. The assembly wrote a constitution, which set up the nation to be a federation, parliamentary democracy and elective monarchy. The constitution was ratified on the 19th of July, 1915, which is now considered the "Unification Day" of Crylante. The unification was met with support from nations such as Midrasia, however Newrey was in opposition, seeing it as a path to Lhedwinic reunification.

An election in Aversi's territorial Parliament was called on the 1st of September, 1915, which saw a lot of interest in the new Principality of Crylante. A party called the Party for Aversi was formed, which advocated the secession of Aversi from Newrey and its accession to the Crylantian Principality. It was immediately heavily funded by many high-ranking officials within the Crylantian Principality, due to an irredentist belief that a united Crylante had to include the island, despite it being 49% Alydian and the mainland being 79% Trúathi at the time. The party won the election, destroying the formerly dominant two parties, liberal-conservative Høyre and social-liberal Venstre. They declared their desire to leave Newrey and join Crylante, which was met with a large amount of opposition from the Newreyan government.

Upon Aversi's insistence on joining the Principality of Crylante, the Kingdom of Newrey declared war on the Principality, and Crylante set up extensive military presence on Aversi. Angered that this meant they couldn't get back Aversi, Newrey sent a fleet of bomber planes towards the western city of Lentini, which had been built up around a jewelry industry established by the United Kingdom of Lhedwin, and bombed large parts of its residential and industrial sectors. An estimated 3,000 Lentinians were killed in the attack, and the attack started fires in older parts of the city, causing large swathes to be wiped off the map in an event often referred to as the Great Fire of Lentini, although many people escaped to safety afterwards.

The Principality experienced some restricted economic growth, but large divisions between the East and the West were apparent, and the parliament grew increasingly factionalised between the Western Reform Party and the Eastern Farmers' Party and Trúathi Party, with many elections being held and many governments relying on the support of small, regional parties to stay.

The country also had a very market-based economy, which angered many people in the working classes who felt that it allowed for the rich to benefit from the economy while they got very little, and in response a Socialist Party was formed in 1938 to protest. The party had a massive jump in the polls after creation, and came out on top at the next election, although they did not have enough for a majority, and the Reform Party ruled out working with them. The Socialists tried governing with the Trúathi Party in coalition with support from the Farmers' Party, but this fell through quickly, and successive elections produced more hung parliaments, with regionalist parties getting large swathes of the vote.

Eventually, the reigning monarch, Princess Liana III, declared that the nation was in a state of national emergency, and that the only thing that could happen to keep the nation from fracturing would be to write a new constitution that made sure that the different groups within the nation worked together.

Crylantian Federation (since 1941 CE)

Gaius Septimus (pictured) is widely seen as the founder of the Crylantian Federation.

An assembly to write a new constitution was formed, consisting of delegates from all major parties, the Princess herself, and delegates from each state. The new constitution declared that a council would take over the role of the executive and head of state; this council was to have five members and be divided between the main political forces in the nation to ensure peaceful co-operation between the main forces. The new nation was also to have elements of direct democracy, in that referenda could be held if a petition with a certain number of signatures called for one, and that any citizen could petition to have a referenda on every law. A bill of rights that guaranteed the rights of all Crylantians was incorporated, which was to be of the utmost importance in the constitution.

The Socialist Party's founder, Gaius Septimus, was given the portfolio of Finance, and pursued policies known today as Septimism, in which the government rapidly expanded its social safety net to include free healthcare, free energy and affordable housing. Some key industries were also nationalized, workers rights were strengthened and anti-discrimination laws were signed. Subsidies were given out to industries, and monopolies were broken up, at the advice of the Reform Party, and Crylante experienced an economic boom which brought the economy up and made income inequality plummet. When Septimus died in 1963, some cuts were made to the model and some of the nationalized industries were privatized, but the bulk of the welfare model was kept and proved very popular.

Crylante experienced a cultural explosion during the sixties and seventies, with many forms of art and theatre developing during this time, and new steps in music were taken. Crylantians pioneered new genres of music such as heavy metal and synthpop, and many of the traditional norms of society such as the nuclear family were challenged in this movement, with perceptions on issues such as the role of marriage changing. Homosexuality was never seen as taboo, but same-sex marriage was not recognized because marriage was seen as a union to make and raise children in, however the movement challenged the role of marriage and sought to redefine it as a recognition of the love between two people.

These new ideas led to a wave of social liberalism during the 1980's, with the Third Amendment to the Constitution affirming LGBT equality and legalizing same-sex marriage across the nation. Abortion and euthanasia were also controversially legalized through referenda, which are still opposed by many within the nation. Science research also took off, with the city of Lentini being rebuilt around the new Lentini University and the Lentini Institute for Federal Research, and Crylante made significant strides in the field of Science.

While Crylante was in the WACO pact with tir Lhaeraidd and Navack from 2006 to 2017, it was disbanded in 2017 regarding a shift in national attitudes, and the resignation of Navack as a member. In 2017, Jenný Anadottir was elected as Director for Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade, pursuing a policy of openness to the rest of the world. She was responsible for the formation of the Lhedwinic Council, and negotiated to become an observer of the Aeian Community, the latter of which leading to questions about the present status of Crylantian neutrality.

Geography

Crylante consists of the south westernmost portion of the Lhedwinic archipelago. It consists of five main geographical areas: the Bay of Lentini-Badessa in the west, the Lilledel peninsula in the southwest, the Vestplan (literally West Plain, as in west of the sea) in the southeast, the Crylantian Mountains in the northeast, and the valleys, fjords and hills of the northwest and the centre.

The topography of the nation varies widely. While areas such as the Vestplan and the Lilledel Peninsula are largely flat, the central area of the nation and the northern areas are hilly and, in the case of the northeast, mountainous. The lowest point within the nation is the town of Norhus in southern Gunderslev, at 2 meters below sea level, while the highest point is the Skægne Topmøde, which reaches to almost 1,493 metres above sea level. There are four main offshore islands in Crylante: Badessa, Aasum-Occident, Syd-Stavrup and Lentini Island.

As a result of the large amount of hilly and mountainous terrain, there are many rivers in Crylante, with the two major rivers being the Usserød/Ouserad, which the major cities of Dybøll and Nebligen are located on, and the Køge/Casne, which starts in the mountains north of the conurbation of Kattinge-Vestby-Norðkirk in the state of Kattinge. The Usserød/Ouserad is often called the "Backbone of Crylante", as it is reported that up to 40% of the population lives within 40 kilometers of it, and access to the Usserød/Ouserad is why the city of Dybøll's famous chocolate industry took off, as it could easily import ingredients and export the finished products.

Central and northwestern Crylante is also home to many fjords and valleys, which have formed due to glaciation and river erosion. There are thought to be around 23 fjords, and 22 valleys within the region of the nation, especially within the states of Marnehus and Haverslev.

The Vestplan and much of the Lilledel Peninsula are very fertile, and thus are used for farming. Large fruit farms and dairy farms cover much of this area, and thus a large industry within Crylante has been within agriculture.

The total land area of Crylante is 67,283km2 (25,978mi2). The mainland of Crylante takes up 58,732km2 (23,063mi2), Badessa takes up 3,013km2 (1,163mi2), Aversi takes up 1,813km2 (700mi2), Aasum-Occident takes up 1,762km2 (680mi2), Syd-Stavrup takes up 981km2 (379mi2) and Lentini takes up 812km2(314mi2).

Climate

Crylante is a northern-hemisphere country lying at roughly fifty to fifty-five degrees north of the equator. The climate varies from area to area, with the northern area having a Subarctic climate (Dfc), mostly due to the high altitude, while most of the rest of the country has an Oceanic climate (Cfb), like most of northern and western Asura.

Nature

While industrialization and urbanization of Crylante has led to a depletion of natural areas, there are large areas of Crylante protected as nature parks, such as the Nixoperuit National Park, the East Badessa National Park, the Lake Marnehus National Park and the Pugdal National Park. The nature that Crylante does have is known to be very well looked after, and attracts many tourists to Crylante.

Fauna

Crylante's coasts and waters are home to a great number of aquatic lifeforms. This has led to a rather seafood-based cuisine throughout much of the nation, with fish and shellfish appearing a lot in Crylantian cuisine. Species native to Crylante's territorial waters include cod, haddock and plaice. Shellfish such as limpets, cockles and periwinkles are also common within the nation's waters. Marine mammals such as seals, which are Crylante's national animal, and dolphins are also common.

Crylante also contains many avian lifeforms. Common species that can be seen include puffins, seagulls, thrushes, sparrows and falcons. Many of these species have attracted birdwatchers from around the world to Crylante, and Crylante is also home to many birds which migrate, and migrating birds are protected by the Migration Act 1977.

Crylante has traditionally had a large population of cattle, which have over recent years been domesticated, largely for dairy production, but some meat production is also conducted. There are also large populations of cats, especially the native Lhedwinic forest cat, horses, ferrets and mice within the nation. There is also a large deer population within the nation.

Flora

Much of the Lilledel Peninsula, the Bay of Lentini-Badessa and the hills, valleys and fjords of the centre were traditionally covered in forest. This forest cover has been depleted somewhat over time, though some parts of it still remain, especially over the Lilledel Peninsula in the states of Aasum, Pugdal and Stavrup. The forests that remain there largely consist of beech and spruce, and the ambience in many of them has been used in many films and television shows.

Much of Crylante is also covered in grass. Many berries have found the temperate climate of the Vestplan a suitable place to grow, and thus there are large crops of strawberries, raspberries, cherries, blueberries and blackberries growing, which have been cultivated and a large industry has developed around them, leading to many small farms dominating rural southeastern Crylante, a culture which has led to the success of the Farmers' Party.

Government and Politics

File:Crylante Government.png
A diagram showing the Crylantian government's structure.

Crylante is a federal multi-party directorial republic, consisting of 21 states. The country's government is based on the 1941 constitution, Folkslov/Lex Populum/Kansan Laki (People's Law), which defines how the government's branches work and how they interact with one another, and protects the civil rights of the population. Amendments to the constitution require a 60% majority in both houses of the Great Council or the approval of 10 out of 17 states, accompanied with a referendum result for it. The constitution has only been amended thrice, in 1964 to change the Assembly of the States from a plurality-based system to STV, in 1977 to change the National Council from 5 members to 6 and enshrine Crylante's universal healthcare system in the Bill of Rights, in 1982 to give homosexual, bisexual and asexual individuals complete legal equality and in 2017 to add a seventh position on the National Council. There are three major branches of the federal government: the bicameral Great Council, consisting of the States' Assembly and the Peoples' Assembly (legislature), the six-member National Council (executive), and the Court for National Justice (judicial).

The Storting/Remsting is the bicameral legislature of Crylante, consisting of the States' Assembly (Asuro-Lhedwinic: Conventus de Stadelles, Rigjordic: Jordting, Nausikaan: Ihmisneuvosto), the upper house, consisting of three members from each state elected using single transferrable vote, and the People's Assembly (Asuro-Lhedwinic: Conventus de Populum, Rigjordic: Folketing, Nausikaan: Osavaltioneuvosto), consisting of 274 members elected using open-list proportional representation under the Sainte-Lagüe quota, distributed between each state according to population.

Liana Vescovi serves as the Chief Director for 2017, and holds the portfolio of Director for Finance.

The National Council is the executive branch for the Crylantian Federation, consisting of seven directors. One of the directors is labeled as a ceremonial 'Chief Director' for the year, and another is labeled as a 'Vice Director'. Each member is in charge of one of Crylante's seven Directorates, which serve as large government departments dealing with broad policy fields. The Council itself is based on ideas of consociationalism, in which the main political parties of Crylante share out the seats within the council, a tradition that has been maintained since the beginning of the Federation and relies on pragmatism between the parties. Currently, the Reform Party and the Socialist Party hold two sets each while the Farmers' Party, Trúathi Party and Green Party (Crylante) hold one seat each.

Crylantian politics are notably a multi-party system, where the Reform Party, the Socialist Party, the Farmers' Party and the Trúathi Party have each held dominant roles. The party system has historical origins; the Reform Party stems from the radicalism of the Commonwealth of Rigjord and the national-liberal and LaBlancist movements within Lilledel and Nausikaa, while the Trúathi Party stems from the combination of Truathist teachings with democratic and humanist values within northern Lilledel and Nausikaa, and the Farmers' Party stems from the agrarian movements seen in the Commonwealth of Rigjord. The Socialist Party originated in the later years of the Commonwealth, portraying itself as a non-sectarian, working-class alternative to the other three parties, and was a driving force in creating the Federation's system of government. The Green Party is a relative newcomer to the scene and is derived from the New Left movements of the late 70s.

Crylante is officially a trilingual nation: the three languages of Asuro-Lhedwinic, Rigjordic and Nausikaan are recognised as equal official languages. Asuro-Lhedwinic is a Fiorentine language spoken in the Lilledel region that evolved from Fiorentine settlers, Rigjordic is a dialect of the larger Template:North Germanic languages spoken in Rigjord, and Nausikaan is related only to languages spoken in North Catai and is spoken in Nausikaa. This dynamic is important in the politics of Crylante; the linguistic communities form significant political blocks and there are notable independence movements in Rigjord and Nausikaa. However, due to its prominence in the Vanir Islands, Vaniric is recognised as a language in metropolitan Crylante, and the Veye language is co-official with Rigjordic in Glostrup.

Direct democracy and referenda

Crylante maintains a strong influence of direct democracy in it's governmental structure, in which referenda are common. A referenda can be called if a petition to hold one on a proposed law reaches 20,000 signatures, or if a petition challenging a law gets the 20,000 signatures, it will be put to referenda. A referendum must also be held to amend the constitution, and it must get a 60% majority. A member of the National Council can also suggest a referendum, without the requirement of 20,000 signatures. In a referendum the Storting/Remsting will vote on what they think, and the vote will be made public to advise the populous as to what the government thinks.

Voters assembling in Lasize, Nixoperuit.

This is maintained in all of the state governments, with fifteen combining an elected government with petitions to hold referenda, while Marnehus and Nixoperuit hold fortnightly meetings of all adult voters in which state issues are discussed and voted on, and have been described as "pure direct democracies".

Notable referendums include the 1942 referendums to establish free and easily accessible healthcare, to establish social housing to move into for the poor and to establish cheap electricity supplied by power plants in Nixoperuit, suggested by the Socialist Party members of the National Council, the 2011 referendum to legalise, tax and regulate marijuana, suggested by Reform Party politician Liana Vescovi and the 2015 referendum to allow people to opt out of weapons training, proposed by Deputy Speaker of the People's Assembly Gaius Schmidt.

Stadelles/Jords

Crylante is a federation, divided into 21 states (jords/stadelles/osavaltio). These states mostly originate from traditional divisions between Parumstings/Lilletings back in the days of Sønderburg and the Crylantian Empire. These states can set additional income tax above the federal taxation, and have control within their territory to make laws, but these laws cannot violate the Constitution or federal law. Each state is recognized as equal in their constitution, and in terms of population range from Nixoperuit (15,012) to Sønderburg (547,183).

Stadelle/Jord ID Population Executive Region
Aasum Flag.png Aasum AS 63,037 Remi Dupont Lilledel
Aversi Flag.png Aversi AV 164,283 Benedikt Svenson Rigjord
Badessa Flag.png Badessa BA 140,283 Ferdinanda Orsini Lilledel
Dybøll Flag.png Dybøll DY 301,293 Kathrine Anadottir Rigjord
Glostrup Flag.png Glostrup GL 157,293 Asløg Jennýsdottir Rigjord
Gunderslev Flag.png Gunderslev GU 132,393 Ragnhild Ernadottir Rigjord
Haverslev Flag.png Haverslev HA 182,283 Ofelia Ratti Lilledel
Kalastjarvi Flag.png Kalastjärvi KA 79,281 Anna Takala Nausikaa
Kattinge Flag.png Kattinge KT 72,193 Nikolaj Jonson Rigjord
Lentini Flag.png Lentini LE 203,283 Heike Reynder Lilledel
Lillehavn Flag.png Lillehavn LI 197,384 Flavia Bourgeois Lilledel
Marnehus Flag.png Marnehus MA 66,929 Arsenio Ratti Lilledel
Nebligen Flag.png Nebligen NE 472,384 Francois De Ouserad Lilledel
Neititsnot Flag.png Neititsnot NT 281,291 Tarja Vänskä Nausikaa
Nixoperuit Flag.png Nixoperuit NI 15,012 Luciano Ardiconi disputed
Pugdal Flag.png Pugdal PU 104,384 Moise Pisani Lilledel
Sarmaki Flag.png Särmäki SM 301,284 Tuomas Mustonen Nausikaa
Sønderburg Flag.png Sønderburg SG 547,183 Severo Acardi Lilledel
Stavrup Flag.png Stavrup ST 151,283 Rasmus Beck Lilledel
Vestplan Flag.png Vestplan VE 201,283 Jakob Eliasson Rigjord
Viikmaa Flag.png Viikmaa VI 37,829 Kirsikka Peura Nausikaa

Foreign Relations and Military

Crylante, then the Principality of Crylante, declared itself a neutral country on November 2, 1916 (1916-11-02), citing "the moral unjustness of war" for its reason to do so. It has maintained this neutrality in the 102 years since, and within its time as the Crylantian Federation it has adopted a highly idealist and pacifist foreign policy, based on the key principle of international co-operation to work for the greater good of Aeia and the human race itself. This policy is highly inspired by the philosophy of Trúathi humanism, which may be due to the fact that the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has been managed by the Trúathi Party since the 1940's.

Economy

Crylante is consistently rated highly among the world in terms of both nominal and PPP GDP per capita, with a mixed-market model emphasizing flexibility for employers and economic security for employees. The currency of Crylante is the Crylantian Hurten, which has a value of around 0.17 CHN to every international dollar. The name's origin is unknown, and many theories on it are prevalent.

Crylante has an export-oriented economy, claiming the headquarters and factories of many multinational conglomerates, with many companies flocking to the business-friendly environment of bay states such as Badessa, Lillehavn, Aasum and Pugdal, and many factories being based in the industrious cities such as Nebligen, Sønderburg and Dybøll. Some of the most wealthy Crylantian-based companies include confectionary company Mælkeagtig, telecommunications company Aprikoosi jewelry company Candeo, pharmaceuticals company Sentio Bonum, publishing company Markusson & Markusson, fruit exporter Gå Grøn and fish exporter Af Havet.

Crylante maintains a post-industrial economy, with a growing service sector, focusing on areas such as tourism, finance and entertainment, while a still significant manufacturing sector exists, creating products such as confectionary, jewelry and pharmaceuticals. A small mining sector exists, largely in the mountain state of Nixoperuit, which is largely government-owned, and a small agricultural sector, producing fruit, dairy and fish and run by many small, family businesses, exists.

The Crylantian economy is run on an idea often called the "Lhedwinic model", which promotes a mixed-market economy fueled by a large state ownership in key sectors and a relatively free market. Crylante provides free public healthcare, funded for by federal taxes and managed by municipalities, and a 48-week parental leave is offered out as part of the vast welfare state devised in Crylante. The federal government's total expenditure in 2016 was 62.55 billion international dollars, or 29.7% of Crylante's total nominal GDP. However, when the state government expenditures are accounted for, this number rose to 101.72 billion international dollars, or 48.3% of Crylante's total nominal GDP.

The government maintains a heavy hand in certain strategic sectors, such as hydroelectric and geothermal power production (Crystrøm), mining (Statsmetal) and telecommunications (Telecry). The state also owns shares in the Lillehauni-Badessae Conglomeratus Argentarius (LBCA), an international banking company which is headquartered in the city of Lillehavn.

A long history of egalitarianism and labour unions have shaped the nation's attitude to employment. A relatively low unemployment rate of 4.1% and a flexible and secure labour market have been attributed to this. There are no minimum wage laws in Crylante; in stead, the government facilitates negotiation between the labour unions and the employers to ensure fair standards in the workplace. As a result of this, Crylante has a high unionization rate; of a workforce of almost two million people, around 60.2% of them are unionized, with most being of unions affiliated with Workers in Movement, a congress of labour unions affiliated with the Socialist Party possessing the stated goal of "making a fairer capitalism for the worker". Disability pensions and unemployment benefits are generously handed out to people who cannot work as part of Crylante's welfare state, and a large proportion of workers (27%) are employed by either the federal or state governments. Crylante has notably relaxed workplaces, and some of the highest hourly productivity rates.

Home ownerships have been notably low throughout the history of republican Crylante; a key tenet of the Crylantian welfare state is an abundance of social housing; government-owned housing that can be rented from the state governments for affordable rates.

Science and technology

Crylante has had a long history of policies encouraging scientific advancement, ever since the reign of Duke Magnus I of Sønderburg. The nation has been a major player in international science projects ever since the days of the United Kingdom of Lhedwin, and it is participating in many international science projects, the most notable of which being the Large Hadron Collider within the state of Nixoperuit.

There are three federally-funded institutes for science and technology, the Lentini Institute for Federal Research (LIFR), the Crylantian Institute for Technological Advancement (CITA) in Nebligen, and the Scientific Centre of East Crylante (SCEC), in Kattinge. These have been responsible for many significant inventions and scientific discoveries. These three labs also co-ordinate scientifically with the other Lhedwinic Council nations of Vrnallia, Glanodel and Navack in making scientific discoveries.

Crylantians have also been a major name in the technology sector during the 20th and 21st centuries. Its influence can be seen in the pharmaceuticals sector, where it has been developing new drugs in competition with other nations, and the nation also leads the world when it comes to life sciences. Crylante was also influential in the development of mobile phones, with some of the first mobile phones being invented by Crylantian companies, such as Aprikoosi, who are now a major smartphone company, known for their strict policy on workers' rights and environmentalism. Crylante also displays one of the highest internet connection rates in the world, with over 99% of Crylantians having access to the Internet.

Energy, infrastructure and the environment

Crylante is known for it's pro-alternative energy policies, with 60% of it's power being generated through geothermal power plants, located in the volcanoes of Nixoperuit. Out of the remaining 40% of it's power supply, 35% is generated through hydroelectric power plants. Nuclear power has been banned in Crylante by a 2003 referendum (59.7% for, 40.3% against), and the nation has relied on geothermal and hydroelectric power since a referendum in 1943 authorized the allowing of the building of the first power plants of those types (53.4% to 46.6%).

The rail network of Crylante is a very advanced and well-built system, with 10,193 kilometers of rail lines connecting the country, which is managed by the states, with the states having devolved power over building new lines within the state, and how much states charge. This means that some states, such as Nixoperuit, have no charges for using rail lines, but other states, such as Glostrup, charge for using the railway lines. In the five biggest cities of Nebligen, Sønderburg, Dybøll, Lentini and Lillehavn, there are extensive tram networks designed to help the people of the cities get around. A large tunnel was built through the mountains of Haverslev and Nixoperuit, with a length of 31 kilometers, which is on the Lasize-Haverslev line.

The road network of Crylante is managed by a private-public system, where the 13,293 kilometer motorway network requires tolls to enter, which are charged using numberplate recognition software. Smaller roads are free to drive on in all states. The largest airport in Crylante is Sønderburg Airport, built on a pier jutting out into the sea, which reported 7.9 million passengers in 2016. Other large airports include West Crylante International, Liana III International and Stavrup Airfield.

Crylante has one of the best environmental records of all Aeian nations, and it is one of the best recyclers in the world, recycling 80% of it's waste. This is because it charges quite a high amount for people to throw rubbish away, whereas giving that rubbish to the recycling centre is free in all states, giving the people a financial incentive to recycle. Crylante was ranked as one of the most green economies in the world in 2015, and all four of it's main parties (Socialist Party, Reform Party, Truathi Party and the Farmer's Party) consider climate change to be a serious problem for the nation to deal with.

Demographics

Largest cities and towns in Crylante (2014 census)

Nyhavn copenhagen.jpg
Nebligen
Stockholm Port.jpg
Neititsnot

  City Population State   City Population State

Bergen panoramic photograph taken from Fløyen mountain.jpg
Sønderburg
River Ouse in York.JPG
Dybøll


1 Sønderburg 547,183 Free City 13 Kattinge 33,768 Kattinge
2 Nebligen 472,384 Free City 14 Haverslev 32,183 Haverslev
3 Dybøll 301,293 Free City 15 Nybergen 29,183 Haverslev
4 Neititsnot 281,291 Free City 16 Keuruu 28,701 Särmäki
5 Lillehavn 197,384 Free City 17 Florø 28,001 Stavrup
6 Lentini 184,284 Lentini 18 Vestby 24,917 Kattinge
7 Aversi 87,283 Aversi 19 Stavrup 22,917 Stavrup
8 Isomuuri 71,923 Särmäki 20 Sydmark 20,345 Haverslev
9 Hasselbro 68,183 Vestplan 21 Marnehus 19,182 Marnehus
10 Slot-på-Bakken 51,923 Vestplan 22 Glostrup 18,996 Glostrup
11 Lofthus 43,193 Badessa 23 Gunderslev 18,875 Gunderslev
12 Østbergen 38,716 Stavrup 24 Norðkirk 18,092 Kattinge

The Directorate for Home Affairs carries out a census within the Crylantian Federation every five years. The 2014 census puts the population of Crylante at 3,869,192, making it one of the smallest nations in Asura. Between 2009 and 2014 the population increased by an average annual rate of approximately 0.1%. This rate has remained steady since around 1999, as the previous two censuses had shown similar increases. The 2014 census also confirmed that the proportion of the population aged 0–14 has decreased slightly and the proportion of older people aged 65 and over has increased.

Crylante is somewhat sparsely populated, with a population density of only 39.8 people per square kilometer. This is largely due to the population being concentrated in a few cities and towns, while there are large amounts of land that are uninhabited.

In 2016 the average total fertility rate (TFR) across the Federation was 1.79 children per woman. This is a rather low birth rate, well below the record of 3.1 in the 1930's and below the rate of replacement at 2.1, however immigration to Crylante has managed to keep population at a slow increase. Surveys have shown that around 10% of the population consider themselves gay, lesbian or bisexual, which is a much higher proportion of the population compared to many other countries, and is thought to be largely due to Crylante's long-standing tolerance of non-heterosexual relationships due to religious and cultural reasons.

Language

Crylante is officially a trilingual nation, with the three languages of Lilledic, Rigjordic and Nausikaan all being official and spoken by significant parts of the population. Lilledic and Rigjordic are both Catisuran languages with Lilledic being a North Fiorentine language and Rigjordic being a Lhedwinic language, while Nausikaan is a Liiduro-Nausikaan language.

Other languages are spoken in small groups across the nation, such as Isomuuri Lhedwinic, a very divergent dialect of Rigjordic spoken in Särmäki and Veyene, a language isolate spoken by a nomadic minority in Glostrup. Crylinge, the standardised sign language of Crylante, also sees significant use in pockets across the nation, normally among those with deaf relatives.

Immigration from other countries has seen a number of other languages coming to Crylante, which are often concentrated in the biggest cities.

Religion

Religion in Crylante
Religion
Percentage
Trúathi
55.2%
No religion
29.2%
Alydianism
10.2%
Derwyedd
2.7%
Mashahith
1.8%
Irsad
0.9%

For much of Crylante's history, it has been religiously dominated by the religion of Trúathi, with 50.9% of Crylante identifying with the religion in the 2014 census. Crylantian Trúathi is managed by the Trúathi Congregation in Crylante (TCC), which is governed as a representative democracy, with each of the religion's diocese electing an amount of members proportional to the amount of members in that diocese to the religious body's regulatory organization. The domination of Trúathi has explained Crylante's tolerance of homosexuality, as the Crylantian denomination of the religion believes that there is nothing wrong with homosexuality and that same-sex relations are normal and should be accepted within society, and the TCC openly performs same-sex marriage ceremonies. It also explains the abortion and euthanasia controversy, as the church takes a largely pro-life stance.

Crylante is however officially a secular state, as the constitution guarantees religious freedom and upholds equality, no matter whether someone is Trúathi, Alydian or secular according to the Preamble. In the last census 29.2% of the population identified as having no religion, and this proportion has been steadily increasing. Among people who identify as Trúathi themselves, only 15% of them attend weekly religious services, with only 80% attending religious services at least once a year. It is thought that many people who consider themselves Trúathi identify that way as more of a cultural sense, though less so in regions such as Nixoperuit and Haverslev, which are still rather devoutly Trúathi, and people are more likely to identify as religious in the East than in the West.

There has traditionally been an Alydian minority within the Crylantian Federation, comprising 10.2% of the population, and Aversi is the only state in which a plurality identify as Alydian, due to a large Newreyan influence on the state. This minority, while having faced some discrimination due to their beliefs over time, is largely respected and integrated into society today, with parties such as the Alydian Democrats acting to represent their voice. A minority of Mashahith followers has existed in Crylante for many centuries, traditionally living in insular communities within the major cities such as Nebligen and Sønderburg, and comprises of 1.8% of the population.

Due to Crylante formerly being a dominion of tir Lhaeraidd, minorities of Derwyedd are found within the Crylantian Federation, being descendants of members of the Lhaeraidh ruling class that moved to Crylante under the time of the dominion. The proportion of Crylantians that follow Derwyedd was around 30% in 1799, but after the end of Lhaeraidh rule the percentage dwindled down to the low figures seen today.

Ethnicity

Population by ancestry (2016)

  Asuro-Lhedwinic (33%)
  Rigjordic (23%)
  Nausikaan (15%)
  Mainland Asuran (11%)
  Other Lhedwinic (9%)
  Catainese or Sifharic (5%)
  Arabekhi (2%)
  Majulan (1%)
  Veye (1%)

While due to years of ethnic mixing the composition of the three groups has become very similar, there have been three main ethnic groups in Crylante traditionally, the Asuro-Lhedwinic people, a traditionally South Asuran people, the Rigjordic people, a traditionally Lhedwinic people and the Nausikaan people. 33% of the population identifies as Asuro-Lhedwinic, 23% identifies as Rigjordic and 15% identifies as Nausikaan. An ethnic minority called the Veye exists, largely within the state of Glostrup, who are protected and recognized by the state government and make up 1% of the population.

Immigration from Asura has caused a 20% population with ethnicity from the rest of Asura. 9% of the population is from the rest of Lhedwin, while 11% is from mainland Asura. Back and forth immigration with Navack, Cuirpthe, Newrey, Glanodel, tir Lhaeraidd, Vrnallia, Atresca and Midrasia has led to this. There is also a notable Tudonian minority in some of Crylante's biggest cities, consisting largely of migrant workers who came over in the 1990's.

8% of the population come from ethnic minorities, with 5% coming from Catainese and Sifharic nations such as Qyred and Hisaristan, 2% coming from Arabekhi nations such as Onza and 1% coming from Majulan nations such as Habasha. One of the most prominent ethnic minority Crylantians is the Catainese-Crylantian political Arður Troelsen, who serves as the Director for Education, Research and Healthcare.

Health

See also: Healthcare in Crylante

Crylante is known worldwide for its single-payer, universal healthcare system, the Crylantian Health Service (CHS). The system was adopted in 1942 by referenda at the initiative of the Socialist Director for Finance Gåje Settem as part of the creation of the welfare state in Crylante. It is managed centrally by the Directorate for Education, Research and Healthcare, yet at the local level is managed by 102 health boards elected every three years by the general populace.

The money for the CHS comes from the federal income tax rates, and it is the largest recipient of money from the federal budget, with around 11% of the entire Crylantian GDP being spent on healthcare. This has led to an efficient, well-maintained, well-staffed healthcare system free at the point of use, and has contributed to Crylante's notably high life expectancy, with the average life expectancy being 80.9 years from birth (84.1 for females, 77.6 for males). CHS is thus admired by many, and recent polls in Crylante have shown that over 90% of the population is supportive of the system.

Mental health has received increased attention in Crylante in recent years, with mental health funding being increased in response to increased openness around mental health in Crylante. While Crylante is estimated to be one of the happiest countries in the world, a significant proportion of Crylantians are thought to suffer from conditions such as depression and anxiety. Director for Education, Research and Healthcare,

Education

See also: Education in Crylante

Education in Crylante, while administered by states and municipalities at the primary and secondary levels, is regulated by the Directorate for Education, Research and Healthcare. Education is compulsory from the ages of 6 to 18, and is provided almost entirely through a public system, with less than 3% of the population being enrolled in a private school, and homeschooling being almost nonexistent outside rural communities in Kalastjärvi and Viikmaa.

Primary education lasts from 6 to 15, and takes place in the same school for the whole time. Crylantian primary schools are known for their rather relaxed attitudes and the use of class discussion in teaching. The system makes little to no use of testing or homework, and in most states there is no streaming of students by ability. While there are no compulsory final examinations, taking one is mandatory for anyone wishing to go to a gymnasium school, which is by far the most popular option amongst students.

Secondary education is the next stage, which students attend from the age of 15 to 18 with the exception of vocational schools, and there are three different types of secondary education:

  • Gymnasium Schools, which focus mostly on humanities and sciences.
  • Technical Schools, which focus on teaching practical and business-related courses.
  • Vocational Schools, which focus on preparing students for specific jobs.
A picture of Solberg College, Lentini.

Crylante possesses seven universities, all of which are completely public institutions. Included in these seven is the world-famous University of Lentini, as well as other renowned universities such as the University of Nausikaa and the University College of Nebligen. Since 2017, Crylante provides higher education free-of-charge to anyone resident in the nation for over three years.

Culture

Crylantian culture is often seen to have arisen as a fusion of the Fiorentine, Lhedwinic and Nausikaan elements that exist within the country, as reflected in the recognition of the Lilledic, Rigjordic and Nausikaan languages as the three official languages. While, as a result, Crylante is and has always been a culturally heterogenous and syncretic nation, drawing elements from a wide range of sources, a national identity based upon a shared heritage under Lhedwinic rule, the days of the Duchy of Sønderburg and a general belief in egalitarianism, Trúathist values, democracy and individual liberty.

One notable feature of Crylantian culture is the fusion of what are perceived to be culturally liberal attitudes in fields such as gender equality and sexual morality, and slightly collectivist attitudes, emphasising the duty of individuals to society and the importance of social bonds; the latter is said often to have risen out of the need for communities to work together in the harsh conditions parts of Crylante, especially areas such as northern Nausikaa, face during wintertime.

The requirement for communities working together has also been attributed to the strong emphasis on egalitarianism seen in Crylante; it is seen that that this has been responsible for a lack of gap in status between the upper and lower classes in Crylante as they were required to work together, however many have pointed to the existence of a very class-based society in medieval Crylante, the last vestiges of which only being shed after the dissolution of the United Kingdom of Lhedwin in 1900, and that Crylante's egalitarianism is more attributable to the opposition of many within the nation to the class system in the United Kingdom of Lhedwin, which many found themselves at the bottom of.

Human rights

Crylante has been perceived to have a very progressive attitude towards human rights, especially in the field of women's rights, minority rights and LGBT rights. The role that many women played in the revolutions against the United Kingdom of Lhedwin during the Great War led to the very early passing of women's suffrage in the resulting Crylantian nations; one of these states, the Commonwealth of Rigjord, carries the record for having the first female head of state, with resistance leader Dagmar Katrinsdottir, whose leadership in freeing the modern-day state of Gunderslev from Lhedwinic rule elevated her to national celebrity and ultimately to head of state.

The 1915 Constitution of Crylante established equality between men and women in its Bill of Rights, with the 1941 Constitution enshrining equality between men and women in its preamble, laws were soon enacted enshrining a woman's right to work and equal pay between men and women was designated to be a government objective in 1973. However, Crylante has been criticised by some feminist groups for its abortion law requiring for an abortion to be approved by a doctor before its execution, which has been seen as restricting abortion rights in more socially conservative areas.

Crylante is also known for its very liberal policies on LGBT rights; same-sex marriage has been legal since 1982 and homosexuality has never been illegal; the legality of homosexuality throughout most of Crylante's history has been attributed to the relatively liberal attitude of Trúathi, Crylante's main religion, on the issue.

Philosophy and literature

Crylantian philosophy has developed as a particularly rich field over the years, with Crylantian philosophers exploring many questions within the subject within their works. Notably, Crylantians have done much to explore the philosophy of Truathism and its implications on the world; much of this philosophy has had a great influence on the policies of Crylantian governments in a more secular form.

Crylantian philosophy has also taken on many other forms, with many devoting their time to studying philosophies such as existentialism, functionalism, humanism and communism and analysing their applications to the world. A notable liberal and existentialist Crylantian philosopher of the 19th century is Aleksandra Lablanck, who argued for the abolition of monarchy, the participation of the common people in government, free trade, an open society and a guarantee of welfare, which led to her exile from Lhedwin due to incitement of radical action.

Literature in Crylante has had a long history, ranging from the epic sagas of the 11th century detailing the plights of heroes against mythical creatures, to revolutionary novels in the 19th century written to incite action against the United Kingdom of Lhedwin, such as the aforementioned Lablanck's Outsider, to the literary traditions of the modern age, with books of the early 20th century under authors such as Mikæl Fredrikson, Mette Katrinsdottir and Ana Turunen showing a romantic nationalist outlook, focusing on the history of various parts of Crylante. Over more recent years, Crylante's literary tradition has turned towards fantasy and science fiction and social and political satire, with the latter being more evident in dramatic pieces and often having a leftist bent.

Media

Crylante's media industry has been guaranteed the freedom to print what it wishes since 1900 in its constituent states, and confirmed upon unification in 1915. While due to the language division between parts of Crylante national newspapers are not very frequent, there are many newspapers within the nation which bear relevance, such as centre-right Nausikaan-language broadsheet The Neititsnot Oracle, classical liberal Lilledic-language broadsheet The Sønderburg Post, centrist Rigjordic-language broadsheet The Dybøll Sun, centre-left Lilledic-language broadsheet The Daily Pigeon, the right-wing Rigjordic-language tabloid The Goat, the secessionist Nausikaan-language tabloid Destiny, conservative Lilledic-language tabloid Lillehavn Star and left-wing Lilledic-language tabloid Lentini Star.

Crylantian television is dominated by seven state-funded channels, CRY-1, which primarily shows drama and short film, CRY-2, which shows primarily reality shows, game shows and comedy shows, CRY-3, which functions as a music channel, CRY-4, which shows primarily documentaries, CRY-5, which has been dubbed a "miscellaneous channel", CRY-6, which shows parliament debates and occasionally state-level politics, and Crylante 24, which functions as an international and national news channel, broadcasting not just in Crylante but worldwide.

While Crylante does not have much of its own film industry, extended standalone dramas often shown on CRY-1 have been compared to films, often trying to raise awareness to social issues or showing the lives of ordinary people.

Music

Crylantian music has had long folk and popular traditions. Crylantian folk music is believed to have started with the setting of poetry and Truathist prayers to musical backing, for group entertainment and worship, and of purely instrumental tracks played at social gatherings for entertainment, often featuring group dancing. Traditional instruments that these were played on generally consist of pipes and fiddles.

The fusion of these folk ballads and instrumental dance pieces with the work songs found by many in the cities led to the first Crylantian popular music in the late 19th century; performers turned away from the poetic or religious lyrics of traditional folk music towards singing about every day issues many of its singers faced, such as the hardships of labour or romantic pursuits; many would start performing these songs at bars in growing urban conurbations, gaining larger audiences. In the modern day, these styles of music have grown into Crylantian styles of schlager, which in the modern day has seen many electronic influences, yet the ballads detailing people's ordinary lives still persist.

Upon the influence of styles such as jazz and rhythm and blues from abroad in the 1970's, a new, distinctly Crylantian style emerged, often termed Rigjordic soul due to the region of Crylante it originated from. Heavy, syncopated beats, fast tempos and soulful and/or call and response vocals have characterised this style, and it has seen popularity into the modern day.

Electronic and dance styles have also gained an audience within Crylante, especially in Lilledel, with genres such as the Lentini sound gaining popularity. The style of synthpop has influenced many Crylantian musicians, with many singers and groups such as Fossilium and Annette Anadottir showing clear influences from it, both scoring number one singles within their native Crylante.

Heavy metal has also been popular within Crylante, with many bands such as Faldende fusing the loud, distorted guitars, fast rhythms and occasionally screamed vocals with Crylantian folk traditions such as pipes and fiddles and epic, poetic lyrics, and sometimes even fusing elements of classical music into their work, leading to very distinct Crylantian styles of metal music.

Crylante has participated in the Aeiavision Song Contest in almost every year since its conception, winning in 2009 and 2015, with the Asurodance song "Caramelldansen" in the first instance and the electronic schlager ballad "Minun särkynyt sydän" by Nausikaan singer Ana Huomalainen in the second.

Cuisine

Crylantian cuisine takes influence primarily from Lhedwinic and Nausikaan cultural traditions. It is somewhat seafood based, due to Crylante's long history of reliance upon the sea, with fish being a major part of many traditional dishes. Poultry is also commonly served, especially in recent years under contemporary and international influence, although red meat has never played a particularly large role in Crylantian cuisine, with domesticated cattle being used primarily for dairy products; it is believed that there was a traditional stigma among the Rigjordic people concerning the consumption of beef.

Crylantian foods also often include various crops such as rye, barley and oats, as well as various berries, such as strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, lingonberries, cloudberries and blackberries. Fruits such as apples and pears are also common in the southern parts of Crylante such as Stavrup and Vestplan.

Crylante has one of the world's highest rates of consumption of coffee and hot chocolate, and one of the highest rates of milk consumption; these have been attributed to the large dairy industry Crylante has and social conventions of business meetings happening over a drink. Alcoholic beverages are also common among the Crylantian people; beer brewed from barley and cider brewed from apples and pears are popular among many, with cider often flavoured by Crylante's native selection of berries and other plants such as elderflower; Vaniric alcoholic pineapple juice has also seen popularity in recent years.

Sports

The two most popular sports in Crylante are ice hockey and football; the former being more popular in the winter season and the latter being more popular in the summer season. Leagues exist for both of them, with most major towns within Crylante having teams in both sports.

In recent years, Crylante has seen success in international football; teams such as Kattinge og Norðkirk, Vestby FC, Lofthus Lads, Lentini University, Lentini Republic and Viikmaa Vikings have seen successes in international tournaments. Crylante has also entered the Copa d'Aeia many times, and although it has never won, it has come second numerous times.

Crylante also has a significant walking culture; it is common for many couples, young and old, to go on nature walks as a pastime through much of the year, although this is less common in the winter months.