Bedistan
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| Flag of Bedistan | |
| Motto: "Strength in the Face of Adversity" | |
| Regional map | |
| Region | Terranordalis |
|---|---|
| Capital | Columbia |
| Official Language(s) | English, Spanish, Classical Greek, Noterelenda |
| Leader | President Gail Luffy |
| Population | Over 3.4 billion |
| Currency | 1 bakrani (þ1) = appx. US$1.96 |
| NS Sunset XML | |
The Grand Dominion of Bedistan is one of the original nations in the region of Terranordalis and was founded June 1, 2003, both on the real-life and Bedistani calendars.
Contents
Geography
On Terranordalis' northern continent, Bedistan stretches some 442 miles from north to south and is 455 miles across from west to east at its widest point. On the southern continent, it stretches 548 miles from north to south and is 250 miles across from west to east at its widest point. It consists of a total of twenty-one political divisions, known as provinces, in addition to the Federal District, where the capital of Columbia is located.
Mountains cover much of Bedistan's northern and eastern provinces, with rolling hills in the heartland and a coastal plain in the historic south, near the capital of Columbia. The provinces of Notelara and Macarida on the southern continent of Terranordalis are mostly flat, while Kiúsagad is more hilly.
Bedistan has a population of 3.409 billion as of March 2063 (January 7, 2005 IRL), 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 only three major Bedistani ports, the others being the much less well-known city of Hendersonburg on the far southern coast and Port Lusambo, the largest city in the Jativan Islands, well to the west of Bedistan's mainland.
All of the Bedistani mainland is in the GMT -1 time zone, but the Bedistani Jativan Islands are in GMT -2.
Bordering Nations
Bedistan is bordered by Commerce Heights to the west, Lontorica to the northwest, Silverbrook and Karacos to the northeast, Imminent Implosion to the east, Replucans and Lukeonia to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the south. Some parts of Bedistan were formerly portions of the no longer present nations of Jativa, Sokojiwa, and Khiousagahd.
Major Cities
Columbia is Bedistan's capital and largest city, located at the far southern end of the original territory. Other major cities include Sonoma City, the entertainment capital of the nation; Hampton, Bedistan's economic powerhouse; and Port Lusambo, a prime vacation spot and international port.
Economy
Bedistan's economy has always been one of the strongest in Terranordalis, with the United Nations categorizing it as "Frightening" since the late 2000s. Bedistan's per capita gross domestic product is roughly þ22,600 (over US$44,000). Most government funds are spent on commerce, with Bedistan's automobile manufacturing industries regularly receiving large government handouts. Income taxes were eliminated at one point, likely due to influence caused by large amounts of immigration from Commerce Heights; they have since been reinstated at around 4%. There is an annual trade deficit of around þ380 billion (about $740 billion).
History
The land now known as Bedistan was first colonized in 1970 by a nation long forgotten that lay a few thousand miles to the west. 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.
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.
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. When the first incarnation of the United Siokaji Consortium, which consisted of Sokojito and Sokojiwa, ceased to exist, 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.
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.
Since 2010, Bedistan has become isolationist in practically all affairs except those of sport. 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 five semifinal appearances. Bedistan and Oglethorpia co-hosted World Cup VIII in 2018, and Bedistan also co-hosted World Cup XVIII in 2058 with Eauz. As yet, Bedistan's sporting teams boast three major championships, having won Under-21 World Cups IV and VI in Total n Utter Insanity, as well as Eagle's Cup IV in The Eagles Nest.
Culture
Sports and Entertainment
The national sport of Bedistan is football (known as soccer in some countries). Bedistan recently qualified for its twelfth World Cup appearance in thirteen attempts. In addition to the main national team, Bedistan also has an under-21 national team, which has won two Under-21 World Cups.
In addition to the national teams, Bedistan has a very strong league system. The Bedistan Premier League consists of four levels of competition in which a total of 76 professional clubs compete. Clubs relegated from the Fourth Division drop off into the National League System, which consists of six slightly more localized levels. Clubs relegated from the Third Divisions of the Highland League, Heartland League, and Lowland & Outlying League leave the National League System and fall into the very loosely regulated local area of Bedistani football.
The BPL champions for Seasons 2062 and 2063 are Yuba United.
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 on the Southern Continent in former Khiousagahd. Noterelenda, at one time planned to replace all Bedistani languages, has gained modest popularity and is spoken fluently by about 20% of the population. Noterelenda is most widely used in West Jativa (or Oste Qátiva, as it is called in that language). Most of Bedistan's modern province names come directly from or are derived from Noterelenda words.
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 West Jativa. 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 Imminent Implosion border, stemming from the old days of Baetica.
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.
Elementary school
Elementary school consists of the first six years of formal education, which are named, unsurprisingly, Grades One through Six. Elementary education is very general, as all students are exposed to a wide spectrum of subjects, including math, science, English, foreign languages, and social studies. The elementary school day lasts seven hours, including a 30-minute lunch break and a 30-minute physical activity break.
In Grades One through Three, each student has one teacher, who teaches the student each of the four basic disciplines (math, science, English, and social studies) for one hour each every day. Specialized foreign language teachers teach the students a foreign language for one hour each every day. In Grade One, the language is Spanish. In Grade Two, German is taught. In Grade Three, Classical Greek is taught. The activity for the remaining hour varies from day to day, with common subjects being music and computer education among others, all taught by specialized teachers.
In Grades Four through Six, each student has two teachers. One teaches math and science, while the other teaches English and social studies. Students spend two hours with each teacher every day, and each teacher is encouraged to split class time 50/50 between his or her two specialized subjects. Each student still takes one hour of foreign language, but he or she now gets to choose the language. Common choices are French, Dutch, Portuguese, Japanese, and Chinese. In Grade Six only, a student also has the option of taking a second year of a language that he or she has already taken. Therefore, by Grade Six, every student will have been exposed to at least six languages, including English, and possibly seven. The activity for the remaining hour of the school day functions the same as in Grades One through Three.
Middle school
At the end of Grade Six, each student makes a decision regarding his or her middle school track. Students who plan to eventually go on to university choose the university-bound track, while those who do not choose the career-bound track. The seven-hour school day (including a 30-minute lunch break) includes classes that are determined by which track the student is on.
University-bound
Students on the university-bound track take Algebra I, English VII, Provincial Studies, and Science VII in Grade Seven. The remaining two slots (all classes are one hour long) have some flexibility, though not a whole lot. For the three years of middle school, each student is required to take three units of foreign language, two units of fine arts, and one unit of physical education. The foreign languages must be continuations of languages taken in elementary school, and at least two of the three units must be the same language. Therefore, depending on the student's preference, every university-bound student will have had three to five years of at least one foreign language (possibly even three years of two languages) before proceeding to high school.
