Difference between revisions of "Bedistan"

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| '''[[Official language|Official languages]]''' || [[English]], [[Noterelenda]], [[Spanish]],  Classical [[Greek]]
 
| '''[[Official language|Official languages]]''' || [[English]], [[Noterelenda]], [[Spanish]],  Classical [[Greek]]
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| '''Other languages'''<br><small>spoken by at least 100 million</small> || [[German]], [[French]], [[Pacitalian]]
 
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|'''[[Wikipedia:Capital|Capital]]''' || [[Columbia]]
 
|'''[[Wikipedia:Capital|Capital]]''' || [[Columbia]]

Revision as of 23:39, 29 September 2005

The Grand Dominion of Bedistan
Domine'da Grádire Bédistem
bedistan.jpg
Flag of Bedistan
Motto: Strength in the Face of Adversity
File:Ao highlighting bedistan.png

Full map: [1]

Region Atlantian Oceania
Official languages English, Noterelenda, Spanish, Classical Greek
Other languages
spoken by at least 100 million 		German, French, Pacitalian
Capital Columbia
Largest city Sonoma City
President Joshua Sanford
Population
(2083 est.) 		5,000,000,000
Establishment June 1, 2003
National animal Porcupine
GDP (2082 est.)
  - Total
  - GDP/capita
$224.0 trillion
$45,865.05
Currency 1 bakrani (þ) = 100 cents (c) = US$2.1098
Time Zone
 - in summer 		GMT -0200
GMT -0100
Internet TLD .bd, .bds
International sporting abbreviation BDS
Calling Code +13

The Grand Dominion of Bedistan (Noterelenda: Domine'da Grádire Bédistem) is one of the largest and economically strongest nations in the region of Atlantian Oceania and gained independence on June 1, 2003.

Geography

Mainland Bedistan lies at the southern end of the largest landmass in Atlantian Oceania, stretching all the way from the west coast to the east coast. The nation consists of a total of twenty-four political divisions, known as provinces, in addition to the Federal District, where the capital of Columbia is located.

Most of Bedistan is relatively flat, with some hills in the northern provinces. Bedistan has ample coastlines, and its beaches are extremely popular due to the nation's constant warm climate.

Bedistan has a population of 4.451 billion as of January 2077, with well over 90% of that in urban environments, as space effectively prohibits non-urban settings these days. Columbia, the capital city, is one of eight major Bedistani ports, the others being Jamestown, Eagle's Rest, Port Lusambo, Hendersonburg, Yojimbo, Aeon, and Fjordalen.

Bordering nations

Bedistan is bordered by Abattoir to the northwest, the Lowland Clans to the north, Pedriana to the northeast, Sarzonia to the east by water, Crystilakere to the southeast by water, Bettia to the south, Nedalia and Krytenia to the southwest, and Xile to the west by water. Bedistan and Cockbill Street come very close to meeting in the south, but fall just short.

Provinces and major cities

Columbia is Bedistan's capital and second largest city, located at the far southern end of the mainland territory. Other major cities include Sonoma City, the largest city and entertainment capital of the nation; Hampton, Bedistan's economic powerhouse; and Port Lusambo, a prime vacation spot and international port.

Climate

Most of Bedistan has a tropical climate; thus it is very warm or hot practically all year round. There tends to be quite a bit of precipitation, especially during the summer, when it is almost guaranteed to occur every afternoon in great downpours due to the heat and humidity.

  • Metrewalk, Koveria, Bedistan
    • July high: 82.2°F (27.9°C)
    • July low: 63.6°F (17.6°C)
    • January high: 67.5°F (19.7°C)
    • January low: 49.5°F (9.7°C)
    • Annual precipitation: 34.42 in (874 mm)
  • Sonoma City, Sonoma, Bedistan
    • July high: 94.2°F (34.6°C)
    • July low: 70.3°F (21.3°C)
    • January high: 74.3°F (23.5°C)
    • January low: 53.8°F (12.1°C)
    • Annual precipitation: 47.21 in (1199 mm)
  • Port Lusambo, Henderson, Bedistan
    • July high: 91.9°F (33.3°C)
    • July low: 76.7°F (24.8°C)
    • January high: 73.4°F (23.0°C)
    • January low: 62.7°F (17.1°C)
    • Annual precipitation: 58.23 in (1479 mm)

Economy

Bedistan's economy is one of the strongest in Atlantian Oceania, with the United Nations categorizing it as "Frightening" since the late 2000s. Bedistan's per capita gross domestic product is roughly þ21,750 (nearly US$46,000). Most government funds are spent on commerce, with Bedistan's automobile manufacturing industries regularly receiving large government handouts. Income taxes are virtually nonexistent. There is an annual trade deficit of around þ665 billion (about $1.40 trillion).

History

See also: Flags of Bedistan

Colonial times and revolution

The land once known as Bedistan was first settled in 1963 and officially colonized in 1970 by America. Three attempted colonial uprisings between 1987 and 2000 were unsuccessful, but on June 1, 2003, the Empire of Bedistan was officially formed. At first, the Empire was ruled by a dictator whose name was never known. He was finally ousted on November 7, 2004, and Scott Henderson became the president of the newly renamed Democratic Republic three days later. Some conspiracy theorists believe that the unnamed dictator and Henderson were in fact one and the same, despite mountains of evidence to the contrary.

Origin of the nation's name

Prior to independence, Bedistan was known simply as American Paripana. Upon gaining independence, the people chose to name the new nation in honor of revolutionary leader B.D. Gibson. Gibson's first and middle initials are the origin of the first half of the nation's name. Bedistan was the most popular choice out of several options, including Bedinia and Bidgica among others.

Early conflict

Paripana, the original name of the region now known as Terranordalis, did not take long to erupt into war, as Lontorican threats to shoot down aircraft in the now-defunct Baetica, Commerce Heights, and Bedistan caused the First Paripanan War to break out on November 26, 2005. The Lontorican leader was quick to propose peace terms to the allied forces, however, and the war would end the very next day. No Bedistani casualties were suffered during the war.

The expansion years

Tingitana and West Jativa

In 2006, Bedistan began to expand by colonizing the easternmost part of Paripana's southern continent, but the very next year this area would gain independence and become the nation of Tingitana. In 2015, Jativa left the region, and the Jativan Islands were divided among Commerce Heights, Bedistan, and Baetica. The Bedistani portion of the islands became the state of West Jativa in 2016.

Extraterrestrial endeavors

Throughout the 2010s, both Bedistan and Commerce Heights were actively researching space travel. Bedistan made a great breakthrough in the FTL field, which enabled Bedistan to colonize the distant planet of Nótereth (literally, new world) in 2018. Contact was lost with the Nótereth colony, though, and nobody knows what may have become of it.

Humanitarian expansion

The nations surrounding Bedistan tended to be particularly unstable, and as a result Bedistan often had to annex land from fallen governments for the goodwill of the people living there. When the first incarnation of the United Siokaji Consortium, which consisted of Sokojito and Sokojiwa, ceased to exist in 2028, Bedistan annexed the western third of Sokojiwa. When Paripana became Terranordalis, Baetica's Jativan Islands were divided between Commerce Heights and Bedistan. Bedistan would later lay claim to another portion of the Southern Continent next to an area of Lontorican territory and south of Khiousagahd. Upon Khiousagahd's dissolution in 2053, Bedistan annexed the central and northeastern areas of its land to effectively connect the whole nation with the exception of West Jativa. The nations of Silverbrook and Karacos ceased to exist in early 2064, and in order to prevent complete anarchy there, Bedistan took control of all of Silverbrook and the northern half of Karacos (the southern half of Karacos went to Imminent Implosion). Lontorica and Tarraconesis ceased to exist in early 2066. Bedistan took control of the eastern portion of mainland Lontorica and Lontorican territory on the Southern Continent, while Commerce Heights took over western Lontorica and northern Tarraconesis.

New surroundings

In 2070, an unexpected invasion by Tingitana, Bedistan's former colony, forced Bedistan to leave its longtime home of Terranordalis, moving to new land in Atlantian Oceania. In a year-long process, citizens and supplies were transported by sea to the new location with help from Starblaydia, Druida, Pedriana, Legalese, and Chacor. Bedistan's cities and networks were rebuilt as closely as possible to their original ways, though there are some differences between the new land and the old. Bedistan began to integrate into the region quickly, becoming a member of the Federation of Like-Minded States in 2071.

International relations and interactions

Bedistan, along with several other neighboring nations, was always a fierce enemy of the Republic of Aquilla in The New Meritocracy until it ceased to exist in 2053.

For most of its existence, Bedistan has been isolationist in practically all affairs except those of sport, though that has changed somewhat since the move to Atlantian Oceania. Bedistan has been a participant in the World Cup ever since its fifth incarnation played in Tanah Burung in Bedistani year 2006 and has since made a record six semifinal appearances. Bedistan and Oglethorpia co-hosted World Cup 8 in 2018, and Bedistan also co-hosted World Cup 18 in 2058 with Eauz. As yet, Bedistan's sporting teams boast four major championships, having won Under-21 World Cups 4 and 6 in Total n Utter Insanity, Eagle's Cup 4 in The Eagles Nest, and World Cup 21 in Cockbill Street and Lethislavania. Bedistani athletes also won fourteen medals at the 20081 Summer Olympics in Kaza, Kaze Progressa before competition was canceled.

Bedistan has been a member of the World Cup Committee since 2015 and is also a member of the NationStates International Olympic Committee General Congress (NSIOC-GC). In addition, Bedistan has recently applied for admittance into the G-16, an economic alliance consisting of nations with some of the strongest economies in all NationStates.

People and culture

The majority of Bedistanis are Caucasian, and about 65 percent of the population is of American descent. Other ethnicities, such as British, German, and Korean, are also relatively common. Most British live in the northern and northeastern parts of the country. Germans have the greatest concentration in the northwest, but a sizable number can also be found in the islands of the far southeast. Koreans and other Asians are most numerous in east central Bedistan. Other nationalities, including French and Greek, can be found in significant numbers in certain parts of the nation.

Sports and entertainment

The national sport of Bedistan is football. Bedistan finally won World Cup 21 in 2070, its seventeenth attempt to do so. In addition to the main national team, Bedistan has reinstated its under-21 national team, which won two Under-21 World Cups before its temporary dissolution.

In addition to the national teams, Bedistan has a very strong league system. The Bedistan Premier League consists of the twenty top football clubs in Bedistan, and the Bedistan Football League beneath it features five additional levels of competition in which a total of 108 professional clubs compete.

Language

English is Bedistan's primary language, and is spoken by about 97% of the population. Spanish is also fairly widespread, but is predominantly heard along the coast near Columbia. It is spoken by nearly 40% of the population. Classical Greek is one of the newer languages in Bedistan, ironically enough, and is mainly spoken in Kiusagad province. Noterelenda, at one time planned to replace all Bedistani languages, has gained modest popularity and is spoken fluently by about 40% of the population, a number that continues to rise. Noterelenda is most widely used in the islands of Henderson province.

Various dialects have also developed as a result of cultural intermingling near national borders. Many northwesterners speak German to some extent, and it is also somewhat understood in the Port Lusambo area. English is the only language widely understood in many parts of the northeast, and it is often spoken with a British-like accent there. There are also very small French- and Latin-speaking minorities along the east coast, stemming from the old days of Baetica. More recently, some easterners have begun speaking Pacitalian, likely a result of Bedistan's proximity to Sarzonia, where many speak the language.

Public holidays

There are a number of officially recognized government holidays in Bedistan:

January 1 
New Year's Day
February 17 
President's Day
March 16 
Evacuation Day, the day on which Bedistan and its people were forced to flee from the invading Tingitanan forces
March 21 
Winter's End Celebration - although winter in Bedistan is not particularly cold, most of its people tend to be very fond of warm summertime weather.
June 1 
Independence Day
November 7 
Democracy Day - also known as Election Day, self-explanatory
November 27 
Memorial Day
December 24-31 
Winter Festival - Bedistan's attempt at a religiously-neutral way of celebrating the holidays

Education

Public education in Bedistan starts at the age of five and is structured in such a way that ideally, all students are adequately prepared for their chosen profession by the time they complete school. The drawback to this is that a student must make a career decision relatively early in life.

For more information, please see Education in Bedistan.

Communication

Telephone

Bedistani telephone numbers consist of eleven digits in the following format: pp-dd-lll-nnnn.

pp is the province code, which in most cases lies within the range 01 to 25, corresponding to Bedistan's twenty-four provinces plus the Federal District. For instance, the Federal District is represented by the code 01, while Henderson province is represented by the code 25.

dd is the district code, which lies within the range 01 to 99. A district, for purposes of telephone number assignment, is a geographical division one step below a province. Not all provinces have the full 99 districts. For instance, within the province of Sonovago (province code 05), Sonovago City is represented by the district code 16, while Uk-Tow Ri is represented by the district code 59.

lll is the local area code, which lies within the range 001 to 999. Typically, these are assigned on a city-by-city basis. The smallest cities may receive only one area code, but the vast majority of cities have several (in the case of the largest cities, they may even have over a thousand, requiring them to be represented by more than one district code).

Finally, nnnn is the number assigned to an individual line within a local area code. Thus, the phone number of a major office building in Sonoma City might be 09-15-325-4504.

International calls

To reach a Bedistani phone line from outside the country, one must first dial Bedistan's country code, which is 13. Thus, to reach a government office in Columbia from a Vilitan government office, one might dial 13-01-46-346-2323.

Special province codes

Certain "province codes" are actually reserved for other purposes. Province code 80 is used for toll-free lines, but these have become so numerous that they have expanded to 81, 82, and 83. Currently, the range 80-89 is reserved for future expansion of this system. Similarly, province code 90 is used for higher-toll lines.

Emergency services

Dialing the number 0000 will automatically connect you to local emergency services. To safeguard against accidental use of this feature, no portion of a valid telephone number can consist entirely of zeroes.

Radio

FM radio is broadcast in Bedistan over the range of frequencies from 87.8 MHz to 108.0 MHz. It is divided into channels with midpoint frequencies in intervals of 200 kHz from 87.9 MHz to 107.9 MHz. Government regulations exist to make sure stations broadcast at similar frequencies in separate locations do not interfere with each other, but apart from that radio in Bedistan is more or less free.

Television

Digital cable services are available in all parts of the nation at low cost. Such packages include local channels that primarily provide news and weather reports as well as national channels such as BNN and BSTV.

Government and politics

Executive branch

Bedistan has been led by a president ever since 2004. Joshua Sanford was recently elected Bedistan's twentieth president. Presidents are elected to two-year terms, and the Constitution states that no president may serve more than three terms in office. The president serves as both head of state and head of government.

Legislative branch

The legislative branch is known as the Senate, and it is a unicameral body of 245 senators, ten representing each of Bedistan's twenty-four provinces and five representing the Federal District. Bedistan has preserved the American election format, with the people voting for individual candidates rather than parties as a whole. Senators are also elected to two-year terms, but they are allowed to serve up to five terms, or ten years total.

Parties

There are six main political parties in Bedistan: the Democratic Party, the Progressive Party, the Capitalist Party, the Socialist Party, the Reform Party, and the Green Party. Ever since political parties were officially introduced in 2036, the Capitalist Party has spent nearly half the time in power. Esther Marchese won re-election to her second and third terms as president on the Capitalist ticket in 2036 and 2038, and her successor Sandra Fleischer was also a Capitalist. There was then a period of constantly shifting power. The Green Party briefly assumed control with Jamie Penaloza's election in 2046, then independent candidate Vernon Schultheis shocked the nation by garnering over ninety percent of the popular vote in 2048. The Socialist Party's Antwan Telman took over in 2050, but he was exceedingly unpopular and finished third in the 2052 election. The Capitalists gained the reins of power again through Edgardo Ronnie, but he too lasted only one term. Next came twelve years of Democratic Party control in the form of Shelba Feazelle and Gail Luffy, each of whom served three terms. The Progressive Party's only turn at the presidency began in 2066 with the election of Patrick Morgan, who served four years. Dean Willis' ascension to the presidency in 2070 due to Morgan's incapacitation put the Capitalists back in the spotlight.

Elections

Presidential elections occur in even-numbered years, and legislative elections occur in odd-numbered years. Until 2052, elections were decided wholly by the popular vote, simple plurality deciding the winner. However, due to the typically large number of candidates, many presidents were elected with less then 40 percent of the vote and sometimes less than 30 percent. In 2052, Bedistan's presidential elections switched to an electoral congress style, with a total of 215 possible votes distributed among the provinces and Federal District. Again, only a plurality was required to determine the winner, but 2052 was the only time under this system that the winner did not receive a majority (Edgardo Ronnie won 99 out of the 215 votes). Starting in 2070, the total possible number of votes was increased to 245, incorporating the redrawn provincial borders.

The system is undergoing another change for the 2076 elections. Election day is officially set for November 7, regardless of the day of the week. If a candidate receives a majority of electoral votes, he or she is immediately elected. If not, the top three candidates participate in a runoff on November 10. If this still does not produce a majority, the top two participate in a final runoff on November 14. In the event that the November 14 runoff results in a tie, the Senate will decide the winner. The elected president will be inaugurated on December 1.

1 The 2008 Olympics did not take place during Bedistani year 2008, but rather in the mid-2050s.

</td> <tr> <td width = 10% align="center">West:Xile</td> <td width = 35% align="center">The Grand Dominion of Bedistan</td> <td width = 30% align="center">East:Sarzonia</td> <tr><td width = 35% align="center">Southwest:Krytenia, Nedalia</td> <td width = 30% align="center">South:Bettia</td> <td width = 35% align="center">Southeast:Crystilakere</td> </table>
Retrieved from "http://archive.nswiki.org/index.php?title=Bedistan&oldid=98837"
Northwest: Abattoir North: The Lowland Clans Northeast: Pedriana