Bahk

Bahk (pronounced ['bach] in English) is the second-largest country by total area, occupying the western half of Cephiron and shares a land border with Amigosa to the east. Bahk is a bilingual and multicultural nation, with both Bahkan and English as official languages at the federal level. A technologically advanced and industrialized nation, Bahk maintains a diversified economy heavily reliant on trade, particularly with Amigosa, with which Bahk has had a long and complex relationship.

Bahk

Flag of Bahk
Motto: What we do in life, echoes in eternity
[1]
Region	Cephiron
Capital	Travincal
Official Language(s)	Bahkan, English
Leader	Rupert Steinbahk III
Population	1 Billion (January 2007 Census)
Currency	Gold Piece (GP)
NS Sunset XML

History

Early Period:
The first signs of civilization in Bahk appeared around 10,000 BC with the Elvan culture, characterized by a mesolithic to neolithic semi-sedentary hunter-gatherer lifestyle of cave dwelling and a rudimentary form of agriculture. The Elvan people were divided into more than one hundred kins (tribes) which were spread out across the vast wilderness.

Kin Wars:
The catalyst which ignited the Kin Wars is unclear. There are no contemporaneous sources, and later sources are ambiguous and contradictory. Sometime around 2100 BC wars erupted between many of the native kins. The death of a single kinsmen meant swift and violent retribution against not only the individual or individuals responsible, but of the kin to which they belonged. This initiated a vicious cycle of violence which resulted in the annihilation of several kins.

Aftermath:
The Kin Wars which lasted nearly 3000 years claimed many lives. Archaeologists estimate that anywhere from 500 thousand to 2 million Elvan were killed; over ninety percent of the Elvan kins that once populated Bahk were wiped out or absorbed by larger more powerful kins. By 1200 AD only six kins remained. Rupert Steinbahk, the leader of the largest kin which occupied what is now the province of Kurast, reached out to the other kins with a promise of peace. The other kin leaders were suspicious of Steinbahk's motives but were also ready to put an end to the bloodshed. Steinbahk shared his vision of a united people with the other kin leaders and in July of 1205 after only 4 years of negotiations the Unification treaty was signed putting an end to the Kin Wars. In 1217 the country was officially named Bahk in honor of Rupert who had single handedly united the kins. That same year Rupert was named King of Bahk.

Modern Bahk:
Although the Unification treaty had been signed in 1205 the country itself was still divided by kins and the majority of the power was left in the hands of the kin leaders in their respective territory. It wasn’t until 1476, that the monarch’s power was finally centralized. Isabella Steinbahk, the first queen of Bahk, had struggled for nearly a year to maintain her claim to the throne because of opposition from the kin leaders who initially refused to follow a female monarch. She immediately began making drastic changes to the Bahkan government. She oversaw the creation of the Senate and named the former kin leaders into a Duchy of advisers. After Isabella’s death in 1525 her son David II continued with her reforms and government restructuring. In 1536 provincial elections were held for the first time. The people of Bahk could now choose who would speak for them in the Senate. David II claimed it was his mother’s wish that the people of Bahk be given the power to shape their country and for the first time control their own destiny. On May 23, 1586 as King David Steinbahk II lay on his death bed he issued his final order. The Bahk Empire was to be renamed The People’s Republic of Bahk. He stated that this was his mothers wish and that he was glad to see it realized.

Geography

Location:
Cephiron

Area:
Total: 10,184,670 sq km
Land: 9,293,507 sq km
Water: 891,163 sq km

Land Boundaries:
Total: 6,893 km
Border Country: Amigosa

Coastline:
200,008 km

Maritime Claims:
Territorial Sea: 12 nm
Contiguous Zone: 24 nm
Exclusive Economic Zone: 200 nm
Continental Shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

Climate:
Varies from temperate in south to sub-arctic and arctic in north
Highest Recorded Temperature: 40 °C
Lowest Recorded Temperature: -54 °C

Terrain:
Northern regions are heavily forested. Plains and mountains in the east and lowlands in the southwest make up the rest of Bahk.

Elevation Extremes:
Lowest point: Lief Sea 0 m
Highest point: Mount Oulatep 7,959 m

Natural Resources:
Wide natural resource base including major deposits of coal, and many strategic minerals, timber, fish, wildlife, hydropower
note: formidable obstacles of climate, terrain, and distance hinder exploitation of natural resources

Land Use:
Arable Land: 7.17%
Permanent Crops: 2.11%
Other: 90.72%

Irrigated Land:
14,700 sq km

Natural Hazards:
Permafrost over much of Northern Hyland and Northam Province is a major impediment to development.

Environmental Issues:
Minor air pollution from industry and emissions from motor vehicles.

Geography - Note:
Second largest country in Cephiron

People

Population:
1,000,000,000 (January 2007 Census)

Age Structure:
0-25 years: 13.6%
26-45 years: 13.9%
46-65 years: 14.4%
66-85 years: 16.1%
86-105 years: 22.1%
106-125 years: 10.5%
125 years and older: 9.4%

Life Expectancy:
Average: 139 years
Male: 136 years
Female: 142 years

Nationality:
Noun: Bahkan(s)
Adjective: Bahkan

Ethnic Groups:
77.3% Hythorian (White)
12.7% Ethorian (Black)
6% Aethorian (Asian)
4% Other

Religions:
The practice of any and all religions is permitted but the Government does not support religion and no funding if provided to religious organizations.
24% Atenism (An Ancient religion in which followers worshiped a sun god called the Aten. It was popular before the forming of the republic but support has dwindled over the last 1000 years as the majority of Bahkan's have abandoned religion)
15% Unspecified
61% None

Languages:
Official language(s): Bahkan, English
Secondary Language(s): French

Literacy:
Definition: Person age 15 and over can read and write
Total Population: 99%
Male: 99%
Female: 99%

Government

Country Name:
Conventional Long Form: The People's Republic of Bahk
Conventional Short Form: Bahk
Abbreviation: PRB

Governmental System:
Constitutional Monarchy and Democratic Republic

Administrative Divisions:
Provinces: Kurast, Hyland, Northam, Yuhkra (Formerly a territory)

Capital:
Travincal

Provincial Capitals:
Kurast: Westmarch
Hyland: Jecht
Northam: Ashelon
Yuhkra: Kaladan

Independence:
13 July 1205 AD (Union of Bahkan Kins)

National Holiday:
Unification Day, 13 July 1205 AD

Constitution:
Made up of unwritten and written acts, customs, judicial decisions, and traditions; the written part of the constitution consists of the Constitution Union of 11 January 1217, which created a Kingdom of three provinces and on territory, and the Constitution Act of 17 April 1472, which transferred formal control over from the individual Kins to the monarch of Bahk, and added a Bahkan Charter of Rights and Freedoms as well as procedures for constitutional amendments.

Legal System:
Based on civil law system

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive Branch:
Chief of State: King Rupert Steinbahk III (since 8 June 1942)
Head of Government: Executor Valshara Steinbahk (since 23 January 2005)
Elections: None, the monarchy is hereditary; Executor appointed by the monarch on the advice of the Dukes for a two-year term.

Legislative Branch:
Head of Kurast: Duke Malorious Dukain
Head of Northam: Duchess Cassandra Isenhart
Head of Hyland: Duke Sylus Kutan
Head of Yuhkra: None, formerly Duke Malkor Duran, Duke Conrad Nimos, and Duchess Jhamira Talos were the heads of Yuhkra. Elections are currently being held to choose from the former Duchy. It is widly believed that Jhamira Talos will be the new Duchess of Yuhkra.
The Dukes are elected by the people to represent and speak for the people in the Senate, each province holds elections every two years. The former Yuhkra territories elected three Dukes due to a technicality in the Constitution which states that the former ruling member of a Kin would have a seat on the Senate. Yuhkra was ruled by three large Kins at the end of the clan wars and therefore were allowed to be represented equally in the Senate. Recently, the King made an amendment to the Constitution removing two of Yuhkra's seats on the senate and has designated Yuhkra a province of Bahk.
Elections: Senate - last held 23 January 2005 (next to be held in 2007)

Judicial Branch:
Grand Judicator: Yunalesca Ellison
Supreme Court of Bahk (Judicators are appointed by the King through the Senate and serve for life)

Political Parties and Leaders:
None, political parties have been banned as they create divisions in society and promote bad politics.

Economy

Economy Overview:
An affluent, high-tech industrial society in the trillion dollar class, Bahk is a socialist market-oriented economic system with very good living standards. Since 1950, the impressive growth of the manufacturing, mining, and service sectors has transformed the nation from a largely rural economy into one primarily industrial and urban. The 1989 Bahk-Amigosa Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and the 1994 Cephiron Free Trade Agreement (CFTA) (which includes Centonal, Draloch, Darmoch, Minos Tora, Lythora, Tritune, and Sacragata) touched off a dramatic increase in trade and economic integration. Given its great natural resources, skilled labor force, and modern capital plant, Bahk enjoys solid economic prospects.

Gross Domestic Product (GDP):
$2,258,964,179,072.27

GDP Per Capita:
$4,676.94

Unemployment Rate:
11.54%

Population Below Poverty Line:
12.9%

Exports:
$261,787,395,932.27

Exports - Commodities:
Motor vehicles and parts, industrial machinery, aircraft, telecommunications equipment, chemicals, plastics, fertilizers, wood pulp, timber, electricity, aluminum, wood and wood products, metals, and chemicals

Exports - Partners:
Amigosa 80.1%
Lythora 8.4%
Centonal 6.5%
Tritune 5%

Imports:
$285,310,969,020.00

Import - Commodities:
Petroleum and petroleum products, natural gas, and durable consumer goods

Import - Partners:
Amigosa 68%
Lythora 19.2%
Centonal 12.8%

Trade Deficit:
-$23,523,573,087.73

National Currency:
Gold Piece

Currency Code:
GP

Exchange Rate:
2.6678 GPs = $1 NSD

Military

Military Branches:
Bahkan Forces: Royal Infantry, Royal Navy, Royal Sky Fleet, Internal Security Force (homeland security)

Military Service and Age of Obligation:
16 years of age for voluntary military service; women comprise approximately 41% of Bahkan's military forces.

Military Personnel:
4,243,500 total (2006 est.)

Military Expenditures - Dollar Figure:
$259,788,120,345.60

Military Expenditures - Percent of GDP:
16%

Vehicles and Weapons:
Tanks: 7,820
Armored Fighting Vehicles: 12,975
Self-Propelled Artillery: 2,705
Towed Artillery: 5,065
Artillery Rockets: 1,606
Anti-Tank Guns: 5623
Anti-Aircraft Guns: 6,000
Air Defense Missiles: 1,670
Helicopters: 933
Jet Aircraft: 1,265

Transnational Issues

Disputes - International:
The loss of Royal Navy Destroyer RMS Indomitable and the death of well known naval hero Rear Admiral Nikolai Isenhart at the hands of the Borman Empire and its unscrupulous allies during an attempt to deliver medical and other relief supplies to Socal8 has caused great public outrage. This incident has also caused a rift in the Region of Cephiron. The people of Bahk have felt abandoned by their allies who refused to aid them in a military campaign against the nations responsible for the unprovoked attack.