Travel in Sel Appa

Sel Appa is a large country of over 1.3 billion inhabitants. It is located on the continent of Sel Appa, along with MassPwnage, Comunisticturkeys, and De Jewish Mafia. It is a quite diverse nation molding all walks of life together. With a history going back more than four millennia, Sel Appa today is quite modernised and enjoys a prosperous economy. Being a powerful and wealthy nation, it has a mixture of densely-populated urban areas with wide areas of low population and incredible natural beauty.

Regions

Nemnenait

Nemnenait is the most populous city in Sel Appa, and is also the capital. An enormous megalopolis, the city's business, financial and trading organizations play a significant role in the economy of the nation and in the region; as a result, the city has the largest regional economy in the country. The city is also one of the region's most important cultural centres.

The city is divided up into 15 sectors of 100km² each and has a population of over 35 million within a land area of 1500 km² (580 square miles), making it the most densely populated city in the region. With a population of over 50 million, the Nemnenait metropolitan area is one of the largest urban areas in the region.

Nemnenait has been a centre of the region's financial system for over four millennia and home to many of the region's most influential stock markets and financial institutions. In addition, it is the birthplace of many Sel Appan cultural movements. The city's cultural vitality has been fueled by immigration since its founding by farmers in 2500 BCE. Nemnenait is also notable for having the lowest crime rate and the highest tax burden among the ten largest Sel Appan cities.

Northern Sel Appa

Northern Sel Appa is the premier cultural, economical, and political hub of the nation that grew up around Nemnenait. It is made up of the provinces of: Anila, Anvorbuod, Demmahom, (North) Eniarku, Fellitshire, South Fellitshire, Fizroe Island, Reddingham, (Reddingham) Annex, Thurmann, and T'lopiq. This region makes up about 45% of the economy, more than any other. Almost all ports and economic centres are located in Northern Sel Appa.

Culturally, the region is very rich. The majority of Sel Appan music has originated in the north or based off of northern styles. A lot of top professional sports is played in the north as well. Currently 7 of the top 10 football clubs play in the north. The largest stadiums also are in the north. Ice hockey is also primarily a northern sport, with just under half of the hockey clubs being based in the north.

Politically, the region contains the capital, Nemnenait, and has long been a political centre. The early Sel Appan nation was centralized in the north. Much of the liberal political ideas originated and are based in the north, notably the democratic socialism that currently governs Sel Appa. A bastion of liberal and democratic thought, the north is also home to Fizroe Island, a symbol of the Grand Archduchy.

French Region

The French Region is a culturally rich part of Sel Appa that has contributed greatly to the arts and diversity in Sel Appa. It consists of the provinces: Belgique, Marseilles, Orleans, Paris, and Versailles. The region is home to the majority of Sel Appa's French-speaking population that has greatly influenced the nation linguistically. Furthermore, a significant amount of art has been generated by French Sel Appan artists. The architecture of this region is renowned throughout the nation for its beauty. The French Region also produces a significant number of footballers, the most well-known being Colin Patette.

Eastern Sel Appa

Eastern Sel Appa is a political hub that designed much of the original communist and socialist thought that gave birth to Sel Appan democratic socialism. It is also home to a majority of Sel Appa's ice hockey base. Main minority languages include Russian and Ukrainian. This region includes the provinces of: Boristag, Cyprus, Eniarku, Gorbachevstag, Josefstag, Khrushchevstag, South Khrushchevstag, Leninstag, Priat, Stalinstag, Vladimirstag, and Yulvanyin. It has produced several footballers, most notably goalkeeper Vasily Kashchenko.

Southern Sel Appa

With a more Oriental basis caused by the mixing of Sel Appa and MassPwnage, Southern Sel Appa adds a unique and diverse flavor to the nation. The cuisine of the region is reputed to be the best in the nation, reflecting its roots in MassPwnage. Many Oriental-style dishes that are popular in Sel Appa come from this region. It has also produced a few notable footballers that are currently on the national team, such as Kash Vasou. The Natives province adds another twist with a more "primitive" style of living. The region includes the provinces of: Datooi, Shanghai, Natives, Phork, Pukapuka, Thikket, and Thingpao.

Geography

Sel Appa is a quite large country at more than 10 million sq km in size. It is part of the continent of Sel Appa and borders the ocean in the west and north. To the east is De Jewish Mafia and Comunisticturkeys. To the south is MassPwnage. It is made up of 35 provinces and one capital-city, Nemnenait, that is often considered at the provincial level.

Sel Appa is surrounded on two sides by ocean. A notable body of water is Fizroe Gulf, a naturally protected body created by two penisulae. The nation's largest harbor and port, Nemnenait, borders Fizroe Gulf. Also, worth noting is the Fellitshire Maelstrom, an enormous underwater vortex. In addition, there is the Anvorbuod Bay in the west. Internally, there are many lakes and river systems that bring fresh water from deep in Sel Appa to the ocean.

Climate

The northern part of Sel Appa is mainly a temperate climate. It includes temperate deciduous forests and some open plains. The majority of the population lives in this climate and is generally considered the best representation of Sel Appan climate. There are four distinct seasons: spring, summer, autumn, and winter. Temperatures range from just below 0 degrees Celsius in winter to about 35 degrees Celsius in summer, however this is an extreme and temperatures rarely exceed 30 degrees in the summer. Humidity is fairly low in comparison to the rest of the country.

The southwestern coastal areas are of a tropical climate, enjoyed by vacationers year-round. Beautiful and clean beaches meander along the coast and are a great place for those who like warmth and sun. As part of the warmer southern climate, it really only has two seasons: wet and dry, comparable to other tropical and equatorial countries. There is no monsoon that comes during the rainy season, however there is a marked increase in rain and humidity. Temperatures range from 15 to 30 degrees Celsius.

The majority of the southern portion of Sel Appa is tropical rainforest. It is very warm and humid, typical of tropical rainforests. Average rainfall is well above 2 metres per year, often reach 5 metres. The region is largely made up of tropical rainforests with settlements and cities dispersed all over. This region is much more rural and less densely populated than the other two. There is a distinct wet and dry season. The rainy season consists of daily rainstorms that replenish the water that evaporates daily. The humidity is high, but not uncomfortable. Temperatures range from 20 to 30 degrees Celsius.

Culture

Sel Appan culture is very complex and diverse due to its large size and large population. It generally conforms to a typical Western style that is largely liberal in thought. There are many things that distinguish Sel Appan culture from other Western cultures and this gives the country a unique identity, even with its mixed heritage. This unique blend has shaped Sel Appa for centuries and continues to do so, allowing the country to stay relevant and current.

Language

Sel Appa has two official languages: English and French. All languages are protected, and all students are required to learn English and French fluently, as well as a third--and sometimes fourth--language. The constitution prohibits any attempt to favor either English or French over the other, however, English is used in national government. Other significant languages include Esperanto, Hebrew, Mandarin, Russian, and Ukrainian. Students are also able to learn Arabic, Greek, Latin, Portuguese, Spanish, and other languages.

Sel Appan English is slightly modified from general English. The letters "c" and "x" represent the sounds /tʃ/ (lunch) and /ʃ/ (fish) respectively. Where "c" is used in normal English, it now is represented as "k" or "s" as needed. The letters "g" and "j" always represent /ɡ/ (goat) and /ʒ/ (measure)" respectively. (Also, the digraph "ph" is replaced with "f". In addition, many silent letters are removed, such as "ugh" in "through" and "though", which are now spelled "thru" and "tho" respectively. Spellings and words follow a mix of British and American styles (metre, licence, realise vs. color, maneuver, harbor). Attempts to reform spelling further have been tried, but no method has been found acceptable. (Example: "Tho I went thru the whole market, I did not even find any fiq for lunc. There was a goat with ruf wool that the vendor meajured on his scale.")

Sports

Sporting in Sel Appa is very widespread and virtually everyoe takes part in one sport or another. The most popular professional sport is football (soccer), with 30 teams in the Domestic League and an accomplished national team. Most children are introduced to football at a young age and many play in local "kiddie leagues". Those with talent are then likely to play for school and university teams. From there, professional teams may draft players they see that have promise. The national team is ranked in the top 25 and has entered the World Cup six times, qualifying thrice (not including WC36).

Logo for the Football Federation of Sel Appa

Ice hockey is the other main popular professional sport. It runs back-to-back with football and has its own, albeit smaller, Domestic League. Sel Appans do not follow the national hockey team well. Regardless, it has only seen one international tournament: World Cup of Hockey 3. Street hockey is quite popular in middle schools and amongst early teens who play it themselves in self-organized leagues.

Other popular sports include archery, athletics (track), boating, (mountain/tree/wall)climbing, cross-country equestrian, tetherball, wrestling (Mongolian-style), as well as cricket and basketball to some degree. It is culturally expected of children in Sel Appa to be able to take part in most of these sports to make them as fit and able as possible.

Religion

Religion is not a major issue in Sel Appa. Publicly, everyone is atheist and religion is generally kept to oneself. Religion rarely influences thought and morals, unlike in many other countries. It does, however, exist. There is a sizable Jewish population, as well as, Muslims, Buddhists, Taoists, and others. Christianity is virtually nonexistent and is not thought of highly by most Sel Appans.

Cuisine

The typical Sel Appan diet is high in complex carbohydrates, fruits, and vegetables. The government subsidises production of grain, fruit, and vegetables. Examples are barley, maize, rice, apples, oranges, tomatoes, onions, potatoes, and carrots. Meat and fish is frowned upon in massive quantities, however beef, chicken, and turkey are widely available and eaten. Fish is rarely eaten despite its potentially wide availability.

The most popular foods are pancakes and soup, which come in dozens of varieties. Often, they are combined in a meal. Pancakes are made from virtually every grain available, including acorn which is popular amongst wildernessmen and campers. The national soup is called Supen (soo-pen). It is made up of barley, rice, maize, onions, potatoes, carrots, and many spices. Besides the main national cuisine, that originated in the area around Nemnenait, Oriental and Jewish cuisines are quite popular. This is due to the close proximity of MassPwnage and De Jewish Mafia.

Holidays

Sel Appa celebrates several days of the year nationally as holidays. Generally, nonessential labor is not at work and the government closes. The first holiday of the year is the vernal equinox and is equivalent to New Year's in other countries. It is considered the beginning of the year by most because it originally was in ancient Sel Appa. A few days later is Sel Appa Day on 1 April. It is similar to independence days in other countries and celebrates Sel Appa. Fireworks, bonfires, parades, music and public gatherings are organized. It is the anniversary of the formation of the current Republic. Next is Socialist Day on 1 May, which celebrates the workers of Sel Appa and their vital contributions. A more minor, but important holiday is the summer solstice. It is celebrated with picnics, barbecues, and "get-togethers". French Day on 14 July celebrates the French culture that makes up a large part of Sel Appa society. Instead of Christmas, Hanuka, or similar holidays, Sel Appans celebrate the winter solstice. Families get together and gifts are exchanged in thanksgiving. Bonfires are also a major part celebrating the warmth created despite the cold temperatures. Finally, Civil Rights Day, on 15 January, celebrates the civil freedoms and rights enjoyed by all in Sel Appa.