Sapient Non-Humans in Breheim

While homo sapiens are the super-majority of sapients in the Republic of Breheim, immigration in the modern age has led to a slow but steady influx of sapient non-humans.

History

Breheimian Trolls have some subspecies that are considered sapient, making them the sole native sapient non-human species indigenous to Breheim itself. However, this population remains neglible (the total troll population being only around five thousand according to the Ministry of Agriculture, and of these less than a tenth are considered sapient, namely the Forest Troll and the female members of the River Troll subspecies). The majority of trolls are considered highly intelligent animals on par with whales and dolphins (due to their general lack of language, social institutions, creative abilities and incapacity to learn), and due to their isolation from Breheimian Society, the existence of this non-human minority have never been much of a political issue within the country, with the notable exception of Forest Troll settlements (granted reservation and non-interference status in by the Breheimian government 1873).

The first records of sapient non-humans in the country date as far back as 1958, when the first sapient non-human arrived in Breheim as a tourist. A small number of international students and tourists trickled into the country throughout the latter half of the 20th century. The first sapient non-human immigrant arrived in the country in 1979, with immigration throughout the 80s being slow. While the first sapient non-human was granted citizenship already in 1988, it was only the passing of the Non-Traditional Sapience Act (Utradisjonell Menneskeligdom Loven) of 1992 that officially granted sapient non-humans within the country the same rights of homo sapiens, which had already been de facto the case since the 1960s. The five sapient non-humans who were granted citizenship between 1988 and 1992 were then retroactively designated as their species in official census (formerly, they had been registered as homo sapiens).

The first non-human elected representative was elected in 2002, for the City Council of Storvik on the ticket of the Socialist Worker's Party. The first Sapient Non-Human elected representatives on the national level were elected in the Breheimian Constituent Assembly Election of 2021. While this was expected due to Sapient Non-Humans being granted three representatives outside of the regular elections due to the very high likelyhood of having no representatives in the open elections, one non-human was also elected on an open list, leading to a total of four representatives in the 533 member assembly.

Demographics

The total population of sapient non-humans in Breheim is 35,425 according to official census (2020), out of which 23,763 are citizens and the rest are largely permanent residents. This does not take into account expat workers, embassy employees, sapient indigenous trolls and illegal immigrants (all four considered to be negligible). This means sapient non-humans in total account for 0.2% of Breheim's total population. Non-humans are concentrated in the cities of Storvik and Just in Taranger Storfylke, and Alfby in Alfheim Storfylke, with more than half of the non-human population living in Jonsborg Town in Storvik. Nearly all sapient non-humans live in urban areas (excluding sapient indigenous trolls), with an estimated 95% of sapient non-humans living within cities.

Breheimian Dragons are not registered as Sapient Non-Humans in Breheimian statistics, and their potential inclusion has proven a controversial subject, generally opposed by both Dragons and existing sapient non-humans.

Country of Origin

• Breheim: Roughly 600 indigenous trolls are considered to be sapient, but trolls are considered separate from the sapient non-human population at large. No other indigenous sapient non-humans exist within Breheim.
• Crystal Spires: Roughly 1,122 beastlings from the Spires have come to Breheim 260 treefolk, 160 elves, 100 changelings, and 370 dwarves have come for employment and from the diaspora from the Nefreedian war.
• File:Flagver1.png Greater Pony Herd: Roughly 3,000 Herdite non-humans currently reside within Breheim. A vast majority of them are Sapient Ponies, with a slant towards an Earth Pony majority (41%); only a few Breheimian Herdites are griffons and zebras (discounting Breheimian Herdite Humans). Herdite non-humans are perhaps the most notable non-human minority, including a few notable individuals such as Tri Color, a renowned politician, executioner and historical reenactment actor.