Bejerot
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| Motto: "Fiat justitia et pereat mundus." | |||
| National anthem: “Ave, Patrie Bejeroti!” | |||
| [[Image:]]
Map of Bejerot | |||
| Region | The World Society | ||
| Capital | Norrmalmstorg | ||
| Largest city | Vichy | ||
| Official languages | French, English | ||
| Government Grand Duke
Prime Minister |
Grand duchy Christian Poulain Anaïs Vioget | ||
| Formation | 1944 | ||
| Area • Total • Water (%) |
315,820 km2 3.34% | ||
| Population • Current est. • 22 February census |
[1] 10,000,000 | ||
| GDP (PPP) • Total • Per capita |
22 February est. 113,369,853,823.53ß 11,336.99ß | ||
| CHDI | 0.697 - reasonable | ||
| Currency | Bejeroti pound (ß) (BEP)
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| Time zone • Summer (DST) |
UTC+4 UTC+5 | ||
| Internet TLD | .be | ||
| Calling code | +230
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The Grand Duchy of Bejerot is a small, environmentally stunning nation, remarkable for its compulsory military service. Its compassionate, hard-working, intelligent population of 10 million have many civil rights, enjoy the freedom to spend their money however they like, and take part in free and open elections of Parliament, although the executive arm of the government is hereditary.
The government juggles the competing demands of Law & Order, Public Transport, and Religion & Spirituality. Citizens pay a flat income tax of 26%. A large private sector is led by the wood-chip industry based on Île-de-Palyma, followed by book publishing and information technology, both based on the mainland.
Corporations donate huge sums of money to favored politicians, the government's religious works are headed by a New Age guru, citizens can be frequently spotted going about their business stark naked, and the tenet of free speech is held dear. Crime is a problem. Bejerot's national animal is the oiseau-lyre, which frolics freely in the nation's many lush forests, and its currency is the Bejeroti pound.
Contents
History
Government and politics
Parliament
Monarchy
The current head of state is HRH Grand Duke Christian Poulain, who inherited the title from his late father, Matthias, in May 2013 after a short period of absense during which the Parliament held power over the entire country. Christian was adopted by Grand Duke Matthias after the assassination of Matthias' natural son, Lucien, in 1992. Christian is married to HRH Grand Duchess Isolde, an American by birth, and they have four children together:
- Princess Hédiyeh of Bejerot (b. 12 June 2002)
- Prince Jonathan, the Hereditary Grand Duke of Bejerot (b. 24 May 2006)
- Prince Mathieu of Bejerot (b. 3 December 2008)
- Princess Adélie of Bejerot (b. 3 December 2008)
Although females are allowed to ascend to the head of the Grand Duchy, because Princess Hédiyeh is adopted and has younger siblings who are eligible, she is passed in favour of her younger brother, Prince Jonathan. Should all three of her siblings choose to abdicate, she will become the reigning monarch.
Legal system
Bejeroti law is a synthesis of local practice, legal tradition, and Swiss, Luxembourg and American law.
The Grand Duchy has five Justices de paix, three on the mainland and two on the largest island; two district tribunals, one for the mainland in Norrmalstorg and the other for the island in Vichy; and the apex of the judicial system is the Cour Superièure de justice, whose judges are appointed by the Grand Duke for life as in the American Supreme Court. This court includes the Cour d'appel and the Cour de cassation, and is located in the capital city, Norrmalmstorg.
There is also an administrative tribunal, which also consists of judges who are placed for life, and an Cour administrative as well as a Cour constitutionnelle, both of which are housed in the Parliament.
Foreign relations
Geography
Mainland
Most of Bejerot consists of rolling lowland terrain although it is divided from its eastern neighbours by a line of mountains, so the foothills of the mountains extend into the middle of the country. The shore tends to be extremely rocky and cliffs are not unknown next to the sea. Two rivers flow through the mainland: the Lucien and the Genève. Additionally, there are many long and deep lakes spotting the countryside. The largest urban area in the mainland is the coastal city and capital of Norrmalmstorg, and it is from here that the underwater tunnel from Norrmalmstorg to the largest island of Bejerot, Palmyra.
The northern coast of Bejerot is very ragged and therefore many small islands are close to shore; people estimate that there may be as many as a thousand small islands in Bejeroti territory. Many of the islands are either privately owned or uninhabited, but a couple of larger islands are counted as their own administrative areas.
Cars are banned on both the mainland and Palmyra, as the country contains a hugely sophisticated public transportation system dependant mostly on trains. The only vehicles used by the general public are bicycles and mopeds, although occasionally permits are allotted for small electric cars.
Palmyra
This island is a ring of coastal mountains surrounding a low central basin of plains. The coastline is extremely rocky and cliffy, and despite being close to the mainland, Palmyra is much more foggy than its counterpart. With its lush vegetation, a product of its mild climate and frequent but soft rainfall, Palmyra is the centre of the country's wood-chip industry, which is why the largest and most populous city, Vichy, is on the island rather than the mainland. The island's area is 84,079 km², making it cover approximately a quarter of the total area of Bejerot. The water source for the island is the Mélisande River, which runs through the middle of the central basin and provides the farms there with fine irrigation and the wood-chip factories with hydroelectric power. For additional power, the factories utilise a huge system of wind power generators that lines the tops of the mountains.
Vichy is straight across the Leelanau Sea from Norrmalmstorg, and both cities are connected by an underwater tunnel in addition to extensive cross-water boating lines. The city contains many high rises that house the huge working population.
Administrative subdivisions
Economy
Agriculture
Industry
Service
Natural Resources
Society
Demographics
Language
The linguistic situation in Bejerot is characterized by the practice and the recognition of two official languages: English and French.
The bilingualism of Bejerot results from the prevalence of English within international society. In 1944, the country was founded by Matthias Poulain, a French-speaking Swiss citizen, so therefore its preferential use as the official and administrative language was established. He was quick to notice the global trend towards English, however, and thus began the teaching of the foreign language at the primary school level.
Until 1996, the official use of the languages was based on grand-ducal decrees which allowed the free choice between French and English. French was preferred in the administration. However, the constitutional revision of 1996 gave the legislature the power to regulate the language by law. On 8 March 1996 a law, passed by the Bejeroti Parliament, made French the national language. Furthermore, this law recognized the two languages of Bejerot (English and French) as official languages. French remains the language of government, but many day-to-day activities are conducted in English.
Proficiency in several languages is expected from members of the Bejeroti elite, as the current Grand Duke himself is fluent in seven languages. Most Bejeroti speak German in addition to the national languages because of their close proximity to German-speaking countries.
French is the primary language of the press and is used for recording police case files. Public service information is in French and English, although if the announcement concerns linguistic minorities in the country, they may be printed in the needed language also.
Religion
Like in most Eurocentric countries, the largest religions in the Grand Duchy are Catholicism and Protestantism, with 31% and 27% of the population following these religions, respectively. Other popular religions include Islam (8%), Judaism (6%) and Buddhism (5%). Of the remaining 23%, most are agnostic or atheist (12%) and the rest subscribe to small communities of religions such as Hinduism, Bahá'i and Paganism, amongst others.
