Baranxtu
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| Flag of Baranxtu | |
| Motto: United for Peace, Justice and more Unity. | |
| No Map Available Yet | |
| Region | International Democratic Union |
|---|---|
| Capital | Ωn-Baranxiž |
| Official Language(s) | Baranxeï, Asuaneï, Nidajii |
| Leader | King Ateni Meinaratu Gguri-Eilari Prime Minister Htalui Asabijitu Mersagi |
| Population | 7,000,000 |
| Currency | Aimau |
| NS Sunset XML | |
The Most Serene Republic of Baranxtu is a small, socially progressive nation, remarkable for its devotion to social welfare. Its hard-nosed, intelligent population of 7 million enjoy a sensible mix of personal and economic freedoms, while the political process is open and the people's right to vote held sacrosanct.
The enormous government concentrates mainly on Social Welfare, although Healthcare and Education are on the agenda. The average income tax rate is 34%, but much higher for the wealthy. A tiny private sector is dominated by the Gambling industry.
Voting is compulsory, all recreational drugs are legal, citizens can be frequently spotted going about their business stark naked, and young children are regularly seen wagering pocket money at blackjack tables. Crime is relatively low. Baranxtu's national animal is the tiger, which frolics freely in the nation's many lush forests, and its currency is the Aimau.
History
Founding
Baranxtu was found as a theocracy by Baranxtuan colonists in the 17th century for whom the progressively liberal attitude in their homeland towards other cultures had become unbearable. Their first leader was the High Priest Ahogi Detitu Gguri-Ahadi, a member of the influental Gguri family.
The first city to be founded was Ωn-Baranxiž, inhabited by about 1,200 people in 1687. The overall population of the Theocratic Colony of Baranxtu grew to a stable 10,000 by the turn of the century, with most inhabitants making a living with farming.
Growth and Independence
After the Religious Tolerance Act of 1725, many of the more conservative people of the Kingdom Baranxtu came to the colony, until in 1767 High Priestess Aleida Mallanatu Gguri-Ahadi put a stop on immigration in order to safe the stability of the land threatened by the too fast population growth - the country had already grown to more than 100,000 inhabitants which could barely survive off the land available to them.
Eventually, Baranxtu was forced to expand southwards to gain possession of more farming land in order to feed the population. Frightened by the threat of famine, Aleida Mallanatu Gguri-Ahadi called the home land for help, but in the Kingdom Baranxtu, people protested against the support of a backwards nation like the Theocratic Colony of Baranxtu, so the Kingdom Baranxtu was forced to set its colony free. After long negotiations, the Theocracy of Baranxtu became independent in 1792.
The Constitution of 1814
Despite the original intentions of the founders, the Theocracy of Baranxtu shifted towards a more relaxed attitude regarding religion and democracy, and in 1810 a bloody revolution brought forth the reconsitution of Baranxtu as a constitutional monarchy. The ruling dynasty of Ggurυa-Ahadυa was disposed, and the High Priest Apri Naostatitu Gguri-Ahadi was executed in publice on March 24th, 1811.
For the first time ever, the people were allowed to vote. The first election in 1812 served the establishment of a Constitutional Committee.
The Committee's job was to draft a constition for the country, which was for the meantime governed by the Council of the Nation. Despite its best attempts to bring peace to country plagued by civil war, the next years saw a surge of crime, as a majority of the infrastructure had been destroyed in the revolution.
Finally, in 1814, the Constitution of the Constitutional Monarchy of Baranxtu was approved of by the Council of the Nation and it became official law, with the Gguri-Eilari line of the royal family becoming the new ruling dynasty. One of their first steps was to repeal the ban of other religions, thereby triggering a new wave of immigration.
The Constitution of 1860
In the first quarter of the 19th century, the Kingdom Baranxtu faced a series of economical threats, and a great number of disappointed inhabitants decided to move to the economically more stable Constitutional Monarchy of Baranxtu. Among them were many intellectuals and influental philosophers of the time, like Uhana Estoratu Ebiscoba. Her book "On the Republic and Its Importance for A Truly Free People" was published in 1844, and it soon became the first 'best seller' in the modern sense. It also led to the founding of a party called "For A Baranxtuan Republic", which gained a surprising 26% of the popular vote in the parlamentary elections of 1852. It eventually succeeded in demanding a redraft of the Constitution, which shifted the majority of power from the regnant to the Prime Minister.
The new Constitution went into effect in 1860. The country's name was changed to The Most Serene Republic of Baranxtu, though the royal family was still allowed to fill the position of head of state.
Industrialisation
The 19th century also saw the advent of industrializiation. However, the government - wether during the Constitutional Monarchy period or from the Republican period on - strictly regulated the development of new industries, as the whole country was very suspicious of the new technologies.
This had the effect that for a long period, Baranxtu staid a largely agricultural state. Only the recent decades have seen a slow growth of industry.
Recent Developments
The Most Serene Republic of Baranxtu joined the International Democratic Union in 2005, after a national referendum approved of the suggestion with a majority of 74.45%.
Population
The population of Baranxtu consists mostly of three peoples - the Baranxtuans, the Nidajians and the Asuanituans.
Baranxtuans
About 65% of the Baranxtuan people identify themselves as belongig to the Baranxtuan People. They are further divided into three groups, the Traditional Baranxtuans, the Old Baranxtuans and the Modern (or New) Baranxtuans.
Traditional Baranxtuans
They make up about 5% of the whole population and consider themselved to be the descendants of the first settlers. Most do not approve of modern inventions and the majority lives in the rural provinces where they try to live the same lives as their ancestors did about 300 years ago.
Before the introduction of Compulsory Voting, they had no political organisation, but in 1990 (the year the law of Compulsory Voting passed), they founded the "Conservative Party of Our Holy Traditions", which promotes independence of the province of Abasina, where about 82% of Traditional Baranxtuans live.
Interestingly, the Traditional Baranxtuans still speak Middle Baranxeï, which was replaced by New Baranxeï in the Kingdom Baranxtu in the 18th century.
Old Baranxtuans
About 12% of the general population identify as Old Baranxtuan, which means their ancestors came as immigrants to the country between 1725 and 1814. Like the Traditional Baranxtuans, they promote conservative values and regulating the influx of people of different faith and nationality. However, they do embrace industrialisation of Baranxtu, as most of the old industrial families come from this background; their also make up the majority of the upper class in Baranxtu.
Their political represantion is the "Organisation for Tradition and Economy", which has not been able to enter the Baranxtuan parliament during the last election, due to the 5.1-percent-hurdle.
Modern Baranxtuans
Representing about 48% of the total population, the Modern Baranxtuans (also called New Baranxtuans) are the largest group in Baranxtu. Not only do they represent all immigrants who came to Baranxtu after 1814, but also those who do not wish to identify themselves with one of the other two groups belong here.
There is no common political view within this group, so they are represented by a variety of parties in the parliament.
Nidajians
The Nidajians are also a group indigenous to the Kingdom Baranxtu. In the Republic Baranxtu, they represent about 15% of the total population. Most of them came to Baranxtu after 1814, when the strict immigration laws were repealed.
The majority speaks the Nidajian language, which was granted status as official language in the province of Ωþ-Neila in 1862 and in all of Baranxtu in 1897.
Asuanituans
Although they only are a small minority in the Kingdom Baranxtu with 5%, they are the third most important group in the Republic Baranxtu with about 13% of the total population being Asuanituan.
Like the Nidajians and Modern Baranxtuans, no general assumptions about their political point of view can be made. They speak Asuaneï, a close relative of Baranxeï. It was granted status as an official language already in 1707, as their culture is relatively close to the Baranxtuan.
Provinces
Baranxtu is currently divided into four provinces and two city districts.
Abasina
A mostly rural province in the east with mostly Traditional Baranxtuan inhabitants. Its capital city is Lamaggra.
Ωþ-Neila
The northernmost province which is mostly inhabited by Nidajians. It is the most populous province and also the industrial center of Baranxtu. Its capital is Nei.
Ωgg-Neila
Lying south of Ωþ-Neila, its inhabitants are largely employed by large-scale agricultural companies. Its capital is Misma.
Dorista
The westernmost province. Its capital is Leiris.
Ωn-Baranxiž
The capital district is the second most populous administrative district after Ωþ-Neila. It is situated between Ωþ-Neila and Abasina.
Deioprajji
The second largest city of Baranxtu is an enclave of Dorista.
Politics
For the last century, the Republic Baranxtu has enjoyed relative political stabilty. The regnant's rights and duties have been more and more passed ontu the prime minister and his role is nowadays reduced to representation and approvement of laws and official treaties, though he cannot veto any law that has passed parliament.
Executive Branch
The Regnant
Current King: Ateni Meinaratu Gguri-Eilari
Official Titel: His Royal Majesty, Ateni Meinaratu Gguri-Eilari, Ruler of the Baranxtuan Territories, Great and Just through the Eternal Glory of the Divine
The Government
Prime Minister: Htalui Asabijitu Mersagi
Party Affiliation: Party for the Union of all People of the Republic
Minister of Social Affairs: Labaη Nehogiatu Semisetia
Fields of Work: welfare, education, health
Party Affiliation: Party of the Union of all People of the Republic
Minister of Foreign Affairs: Secui Haideritu Atili
Fields of Work: international agreements & treaties, embassies
Party Affiliation: Liberty and Justice League
Minister of Security: Ajegge Lidanatu Radula
Fields of Work: police, military
Party Affiliation: Liberty and Justice League
Minister of Finance: Ubtaï Jjubylitu Lakati
Fields of Work: drafting the annual budget, setting taxes
Party Affiliation: Independent
Minister of Justice: Adánela Misóriai Heftúea
Fields of Work: wording of law proposals, appointing of judges, inauguration and control of judges and lawyers
Party Affiliation: Party of the Union of all People of the Republic
Legislative Branch
The House of the Moon
The currently 144 members of the lower house of parliament are elected for a four-year period. All future laws must first be passed here first. The last election was held 2000, the current make up of the parliament is as follows:
| Party | Seats 2000 | Seats 2004 (change) |
|---|---|---|
| Party of the Union of all People of the Republic | 38 | 42 (+4) |
| Liberty and Justice League | 30 | 28 (-2) |
| Organisation for Tradition and Economy | 2 | 0 (-2) |
| Conservative Party of Our Holy Traditions | 0 | 0 |
| National Party of the Republic | 28 | 34 (+6) |
| Party of Spiritual Alliances | 12 | 8 (-4) |
| Independent | 10 | 14 (+4) |
| All others | 16 | 18 (+2) |
| Totals | 136 | 144 |
The Most Serene Republic of Baranxtu is currently governed by a coalition of the Party of the Union of all People of the Republic, the Liberty and Justice League, three independent members of parliament of which one, Ubtaï Jjubylitu Lakati, has been appointed minister of finances, and one of the minor parties called The Liberal Coalition.
The House of the Sun
The upper house of parliament currently has 23 members, which are appointed by the provincial governments depending on the size of their province. Laws that have been passed in the House of the Moon have also to be passed here, however the House of the Moon can override a veto by the House of the Sun.
Judicial Branch
Supreme Court
Full Name: The Supreme Court of the Most Serene Republic of Baranxtu
The thirteen judges (thirteen is not considered an unlucky number) of the Supreme Court are separated into three groups of four judges each, and the Highest Judge.
Four judges are appointed by the Prime Minister and the Minister of Justice, four judges are appointed by the king in correspondence with the governors of the provinces, four judges are appointed by the Judicial Commitee of the House of the Moon and the Highest Judge is elected for six years by the people.
The Highest Judge: Andelia Nigguatu Melinda (since 2000)
The Ministrial Judges: Naboria Lebatu Tindera (since 1994), Lauti Mijanditu Suegi (since 1997), Htassa Zurdegatu Mendaa (since 1997), Iheti Ostragitu Apeli (since 2001)
The Royal Judges: Oblini Etoritu Samhan (since 1987), Zurdi Maladytu Habelai (since 1992), Karena Nedortu Zalopia (since 1993), Hagga Aljurtitu Sebra (since 1995)
The Parlamentary Judges: Eibe Nandratu Jijjila (since 1991), Taui Asuanehitu Larti (since 2000), Jakei Saboltu Netisi (since 2001), Hádara Meógiai Árbre (since 2005)
National Symbols
National Anthem
The National Anthem, titled "Ei Ðinnia Ω Ðηmηa, Xaštahoa Ixω" ("Oh brothers and sisters, come close") has been the official anthem since the installation of the Constitution of 1860.
Its lyrics are based on the poem "Médry" ("Home"), written in 1802 by the Manyaian poet Unárie Milátai Santé and translated into Baranxeï in 1823 by an unknown writer. In 1833 it was turned into a song by the famous composer Silhari Negutreitu Masuhagi which quickly become the unofficial hymn of the Republican movement.
It was adopted as the national anthem in 1860, replacing the "Hymn to the Regnant".
National Animal
The national animal is the tiger. It has been in use since the first days of the colony, as it is one of the animals associated with the country's patron deity Baranxi.
As it is sacred to this god, it is absolutely sacrosanct. Any harm done to it on purpose can - and still is - harshly prosecuted, and killing a tiger can be punished with a life sentence in prison. The last time such a ruling occured was in 1995, when three hunters shot a total of five tigers, wanting to sell their fur on the international market. They were all sentenced to a life term in prison, and all of their appeals were denied.
National Flags
Flag of the State
The official Flag of the State (also shown in the infobox on top of the page) has been in use in this form since 2005.
The earliest attested form is the banner of the Ggurυa-Ahadυa family, which was basically a triangle with its left side in green and the right side in blue.
This banner was turned 90° and used as the national flag of the Theocratic Colony Baranxtu from 1698 on, with a full moon added to the flag, representing the Triad of the Goddesses, which were back then considered the patron deities of all travelers.
In 1814, the new flag was an adaption of the older one, only now altered to a rectangular shape and with a tiger - the national animal - added to its center as a represantion of the country's strength and power.
According to the Constitution of 1860, the full moon was to be reduced to a crescent, representing the modesty of the Baranxtuan people (the crescent is considered a symbol of modesty as it is not as vain as the full moon in showing all its beauty).
Finally, after the Republic Baranxtu joined the IDU, it added the scales of justice to its flag, symbolizing its affinity with that organisation.
