Difference between revisions of "Edvardus"

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Edvardus

Flag of Edvardus
Motto: Ad maiorem dei gloriam
[1]
Region	Middle Earthen Tards
Capital	Città Imperiale
Official Language(s)	Italian, although Spanish, English, Portuguese, French, and German are also prevalent
Leader	Julio IV
Population	136 million
Currency	Dollaro
NS Sunset XML

Sacro Impero del Edoardo (or The Holy Empire of Edvardus, Edvardus for short) is a very large, devout, environmentally stunning, and safe nation, notable for its complete lack of prisons, punitive income tax rates, and devotion to social welfare. Edvardus is located in the middle of the Middle Earthen Tards. It shares a border with Sun Sons to the north, Berzurkley to the east, Humanworld to the southeast, Denia1 to the south-central, Tradia to the southwest, and The Sea to the west. It also has a small coastline on the Glockenspien Gulf.

History

The area presently known as the Middle Earthen Tards has developed several nations in the past sixty-two years. One of which is the Holy Empire of Edvardus, which is one of the original 8 nations. The UN has classified the government as: democratic socialist (first two years), corrupt dictatorship, psychotic dictatorship (really long time), corrupt dictatorship again (after becoming a member of the UN), then Father Knows Best State, back to corrupt dictatorship, back to psychotic dictatorship, and currently, corrupt dictatorship again.

When the government outlawed gambliing, the retail industry collapsed. With the rapid deterioration of the backbone of the economy, Edvardus lost its status as a developing nation. Soon after, the beef-based agricultural workers threatened to strike because they were not being paid fair wages. Partially because the President and Parliament feared that a strike would completely destroy the Edvardian economy, Parliament passed a law meeting the demands of the union. With the retail industry gone, beef-based agriculture was the main source of revenue for Edvardus. However, the passage of the Fair Wage Act only incited daily union strikes. Attempting to jump-start the economy, Parliament had also kowtowed to big businesses by deregulating the industry. If it had not, big businesses threatened to pull out of Edvardus, most likely resulting in the economic demise of the empire. For a few decades, the economy was powered by the Automobile Manufacturing industry. An attempt to regulate the arms industry led to the current economic downturn of Edvardus. Near the end of HIM Paulo VII's life, this industry died and the Beef-Based Agriculture industry became the dominant industry once again.

Politics

see: Politics of Edvardus

Edvardus is a semi-presidential constitutional monarchy headed by the Emperor. The people are ruled with an iron fist by the dictatorship government, which ensures that no-one outside the party gets too rich. In their personal lives, however, citizens are relatively unoppressed, because the government genuinely cares about its people. The head of government is the Prime Minister, who also oversees foreign affairs. The President is the head of Parliament and domestic affairs. The legislative body is unicameral. It is difficult to tell where the omnipresent, corrupt, socially-minded government stops and the rest of society begins, but it juggles the competing demands of Social Welfare, Education, and Religion & Spirituality.

While having no official branch in the imperial government, the opinion of the Holy See is highly respected and carried out to the best abilities of the government.

The Executive Branch is headed by the:
Emperor (head of state): His Imperial Majesty Julio IV,
Prime Minister (head of government): Prime Minister de Silva, and
President: President da Costa

The Legislative Branch is made of two bodies: the National Assembly and Parliament. The National Assembly was established to serve as a constitutional convention and electoral college. It is responsible for any amendments to the constitution and electing the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister of Edvardus. The Parliament is the main legislative body of Edvardus and has the power to pass all ordinary legislation.

The Judicial Branch is led by the the Supreme Court consists of 15 Grand Justices, two of which also serve as the President and Vice President of the Court. Appointed by the President of Edvardus, the President and Vice President, along with six other justices serve four-year terms. The other seven Justices serve eight-year terms.

Recent legislation has caused the daily suppression of pro-democracy protests, protests to be legal but strictly supervised, the government to extract trade concessions from poor nations in exchange for humanitarian aid, and refugees from other nations to flock to Edvardus's border.

Foreign Relations

Edvardus was an official member of the United Nations, but resigned from the UN In Year 48.

Political Divisions

At 430,000 sq.km (about the size of Iraq), Edvardus is made up of 25 provinces, 125 counties, 3675 towns, and 21 municipalities.

Until Year 53, the number of provinces, counties, towns, and municipalities was a direct correlation with the population. However, HIM Julio IV declared that this method is running into problems with the population growth continuing but territorial expansion impossible. Therefore, he instituted a new system that fixes the number of provinces at 25 and each province shall have 5 counties. The number of municipalities may change over time, but for a town to be considered a municipality, it must have a population of at least 1,682,585. New towns arise using the old method of population growth.

Settlement Patterns

In the rural areas of the alluvial plain, settlement almost invariably clusters near the rivers, streams, and irrigation canals. The levees laid down by streams and canals provide advantages for both settlement and agriculture. Surface water drains more easily on the levees' backslope, and the coarse soils of the levees are easier to cultivate and permit better subsurface drainage. The height of the levees gives some protection against floods and the frost that often affect low-lying areas and may kill winter crops. Above all, those living or cultivating on the crest of a levee have easy access to water for irrigation and household use in a dry, hot country.

Although there are some isolated homesteads, most rural communities are nucleated settlements rather than dispersed farmsteads; that is, the farmer leaves his village to cultivate the fields outside it. The size of the settlement varies, generally with the volume of water available for household use and with the amount of land accessible to village dwellers. Sometimes, particularly in the lower Presto and Buono Attraversare valleys near the Gulf, soil salinity restricts the area of arable land and limits the size of the community dependent on it, and it also usually results in large unsettled and uncultivated stretches between the villages.

Cities and large towns are almost invariably situated on watercourses, usually on the major rivers or their larger tributaries. This dependence has had its disadvantages. Until the recent development of flood control, cities were subject to the threat of inundation. Moreover, the dikes needed for protection have effectively prevented the expansion of the urban areas in some directions. Now the government has built dams for hydroelectric purposes, but consequently also caused permanent flooding of certain areas.

Geography

see: Geography of Edvardus

Climate

Desite the oasis-like look of Città Imperiale, the temperatures in Edvardus range from higher than 46 °C (115 °F) in the summer to 4 °C (40 °F) in the winter. The summer months are marked by two kinds of wind phenomena: a dry, dusty wind with occasional gusts to eighty kilometers an hour from the south and southeast, occurs from April to early June and again from late September through November; a steady wind from the north and northwest, prevails from mid-June to mid-September. Very dry air which accompanies the latter permits intensive sun heating of the land surface but also provides some cooling effect. Dust storms accompany these winds and may rise to height of several thousand meters, causing hazardous flying conditions and closing airports for brief periods of time.

Extremes of temperatures and humidity, coupled with the scarcity of water, will effect both humans and equipment. During the dry season, clouds of dust caused by vehicle movement will increase detection capabilities in desert regions. Flash flooding in dry riverbeds that contains water only during times of heavy rain and across roads will hinder trafficability and resupply efforts during the rainy season. Clear, cloudless skies make air superiority a prerequisite to successful offensive operations throughout Edvardus. Air operations may be reduced during windy season.

Edvardus receives most of its precipitation accompanied by thunderstorms in the winter and early spring. The average annual rainfall for this area is only about 10 to 17 cm. Half of the days in winter are cloudy, and in the summer the weather is clear most of the time. Because of very high rates of evaporation, soil and plants rapidly lose the little moisture obtained from the rain, and vegetation could not survive without extensive irrigation.

Flora & Fauna

Edvardus's national animal is the chicken, which is a delicacy and also the nation's favorite main course. The chicken population had grown out of control and its protection from hunters has been lifted.

Edvardus is well-known for its date palms along the coast of the ocean. Other than the coastline, there is no natural vegetation.

Economy

The nation's economy has slipped into a major recession again. The dollaro has depreciated (4.95 dollaroes to the Dollar), the GDP has risen to $449 billion (per capita at $3298), and Edvardus's trade surplus has risen to $11.5 billion. Unemployment has increased to a record 12.49%.

Edvardus enforces a degree of private economic freedom (including privately owned industry) intermingled with centralized economic planning (which includes intervention for environmentalism and social justice, or state ownership of some of means of production). A substantial private sector is led by the Automobile Manufacturing industry, with the traditional Beef Based Agriculture and Retail industries significantly dwarfed due to government aid to the Automobile Manufacturing industry. The government has also imposed punitive tariffs to protect local industry.

Citizens are free to: possess means of production, travel, buy, sell, hire, fire, organize, communicate, and protest peacefully. With tax-funded, subsidized, or state-owned services and infrastructures, citizens may access: legal assistance, information services, transportation, education services, health services, personal and property protection at home and abroad, subsidies to agriculture and other businesses, government monopolies and government-granted monopolies, and state-owned industries, such as telephone service and electricity. The state provides some autonomy over personal finances but includes involuntary spending and investments such as transfer payments and other cash benefits such as: welfare for the poor, social security for the aged and infirm, government subsidies to business, and mandatory insurance. The state also imposes: environmental regulations, labor regulations, consumer regulations, antitrust laws, intellectual property laws, incorporation laws, protectionism, and import and export controls. The state may also impose taxes and fees written or enforced with manipulation of the economy in mind.

The average income tax rate has soared to a record 71%, but much higher for the wealthy. The government spends: 24% on Social Welfare programs (including a recent subsidy given to companies, which are required to pay female employees a maximum of six months of maternity leave), 24% on Education, 18% on Administration costs, 10% on Religious/Spiritual programs, 8% on Commerce, 7% on Law & Order, 6% on Social Equity, 3% on Public Transport, 1% on the Environment, and 1% on Healthcare (organ donations are at an all-time low). Parliament has stripped back military funding, but the law ultimately allows the people to choose where their taxes are being spent.

Demographics

As of today, there is an estimated 136 million people in Edvardus. The empire consists of the following ethnic groups and their respective percentages:

Hispanic 41.67%, White 32.55% (includes people of European, Middle Eastern, and North African descent), Black 13.18% (includes people of African descent, except from North Africa), Asian 11.85% (includes people of East Asian, Southeast Asia, and South Asian descent), and Pacific Islander 0.75%

Culture

Emperor Paulo VII has instituted a program that promotes a traditional lifestyle and social ethics while rejecting individualism and capitalistic values. It also aims to build up morale in a nation that was besieged with corruption. Some goals include courtesy to neighbors, following rules set by the government, keeping streets clean, conserving energy, and so forth. He used the notion of self-cultivation and correct living for this movement. While some have praised the movement for its role in raising the quality of life somewhat, other have criticized it for its lofty goals that were out of touch with the suffering of the general populace.

Thanks to the all-pervasive police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare, crime is totally unknown. Legislation has established a curfew for teenagers and as a result, all teenagers who are caught outside too late are sent to jail. Long arduous trials are held for the most trivial of offences, parents live in fear of governmental 'child protection' squads, the wearing and manufacture of fur apparel is banned, citizens are allowed to rise or fall based on their own merits, the government provides after-school activities to keep children off the streets and out of gangs, most of the nation's wealthy aristocrats are dentists, the mining industry has taken a hit from tighter environmental regulations preventing the mining of gold on the floor of Lake Matteo, schools have extensive counseling programs for troubled students, the government pours millions of dollaros into rehabilitation programs annually, an enormous health awareness programme is underway, Edvardus's educational system to be the envy of many and regarded as a pinnacle of educational achievement, retirement homes are often fitted with luxurious suites, torture is illegal, it is illegal for police officers to carry out searches due to strict privacy laws, all-natural foods are becoming a major fad, smoking is banned in public areas, a series of riots between local cannibals and health food advocates, roads are often attended by round-the-clock construction crews, many parents are becoming frustrated with their children's choices in spouses, and skateparks can be found in every city.

The most popular sports in the empire are: Baseball, Football, and Taekwondo.

Religion

Roman Catholicism is the official state religion and the teachings of the Church are actively enforced. Edvardus is home to 27 cardinals, 283 bishops, 27 archdioceses, and 128 dioceses . The new method of establishing counties also changed the method of establishing dioceses. Each diocese (with a population of about 875,000) is headed by two bishops or a cardinal and an auxilary bishop (archdiocese). Each diocese is required to have at least 300 parishes, each able to house 500 parishoners. Each parish must staff at least three priests to celebrate six to seven Masses every weekend.

The Emperor seeks the advise of Pope Benedict XVI on decisions as small as choosing a regnal name to running the empire in general. Parliament also allocates a significant portion of its annual budget towards fostering a religious lifestyle amongst its citizens. The government declares that all citizens must attend religious services on the sabbath and believe in a monotheistic entity. While not required, citizens are highly encouraged to set aside some time weekly to do charity events or volunteer work. The government has also outlawed: genetically modified goods (all genetic research is temporarily tied up in government red tape), public nudity, racist remarks in public, adultery, fornication, pornography, divorce, human embryonic stem cell research, same-sex marriage, euthanasia, abortion in cases where the mother's life is not in danger, capital punishment, and birth control.

Due to religious beliefs, Edvardus has also opened its arms to an influx of refugees, who are in the process of becoming citizens of Edvardus.

Education

All citizens must attend school between the ages of 4 and 14, although most choose to stay in school past the minimum age. The educational system is broken into 3 main stages, which are subsequently broken into 2 sub-stages.

Primary Education
The first stage of Primary Education consists of student from 4-7 years old. This stage promotes children's cognitive and social development. State-funded programs have set standards and are able to provide the necessary resources to ensure that every student learns "how to learn" to communicate, play, and interact with others appropriately. A teacher provides various manipulative materials and activities to motivate these children to learn the language and vocabulary of reading, mathematics, science, and computers, as well as that of music, art, and social behaviors. For children who previously have spent most of their time at home, this stage may serve the purpose of training them to be apart from their parents without anxiety. A major part of the curriculum at this stage is to teach children to accept "Love and peace!" as a way of life

The second phase of Primary Educatin consists of students from 7-10 years old. This stage's goals include achieving basic literacy and numeracy amongst all their students, as well as establishing foundations in science, geography, history and other social sciences.

Secondary Education
During the first stage of Secondary Education (aimed at students from 10-13 years old), students begin to enroll in class schedules where they take classes from several teachers in a given day, unlike in primary education, where most classes are with the same teacher (except for usually art, music, and physical education). The classes are usually a set of four core academic classes: language arts, science, mathematics (pre-algebra and algebra), and social studies with an elective course and physical education.

At the second stage of Secondary Education (aimed at students from 13-16 years old), students mostly take a broad variety of classes, without special emphasis. The curriculum varies widely in quality and rigidity, requiring a 75% to pass the course.

All three years require students to take a year-long Italian course, a year-long foreign language course (Spanish, English, Portuguese, French, or German), a year-long history/social science course, a year-long math course, a year-long science course, and a semester-long Catechism course. In the first year, students must take geometry, biology, and a semester of PE. In the second year, students must take algebra with trignometry, chemistry, and a semester of PE. In the final year, students must take pre-calculus and (very briefly) introductory calculus, physics, and driver's education.

Tertiary Education
Most people choose to pursue a bachelor's degree after the completion of their secondary education. It usually takes 4 years of higher education to receive the degree, although some require 5 years. Many young men decide to join the seminary at this time and each year the number of priests increases by over 1,800.

The completion of tertiary education coincides with the age of majority (20 years old).

Rankings

The Middle Earthen Tards region consists of eleven nations.

• 1st in the region (9,711th in the world) for Nicest Citizens
• 1st in the region (10,846th in the world) for Largest Agricultural Sector
• 1st (+2) in the region (16,502nd (+11,594) in the world) for Lowest Crime Rates
• 1st in the region (68,807th in the world) for Safest Nations
• 2nd in the region (14,405th in the world) for Largest Automobile Manufacturing Sector
• 2nd in the region (27,473rd in the world) for Largest Insurance Industry
• 3rd in the region (36,291st in the world) for Largest Basket Weaving Sector
• 4th (-1) in the region (50,551st (-360) in the world) for Largest Mining Sector
• 5th in the region (48,672nd in the world) for Largest Information Technology Sector
• 5th in the region (49,716th in the world) for Smartest Citizens
• 5th in the region (70,313th in the world) for Most Cultured
• 5th (+2) in the region (46,982nd (+21,099) in the world) for Largest Gambling Industry
• 6th in the region (50,166th in the world) for Most Comprehensive Public Healthcare
• 6th (-1) in the region (60,175th (-4,811) in the world) for Most Beautiful Environments
• 7th in the region (76,430th in the world) for Most Eco-Friendly Governments
• 8th (+1) in the region (71,275th (+6,507) in the world) for Largest Arms Manufacturing Sector
• 8th in the region (86,038th in the world) for Most Politically Apathetic Citizens
• 9th in the region (92,063rd in the world) for Largest Defense Forces (per capita)
• 9th in the region (100,909th in the world) for Most Pro-Market Nations
• 10th in the region (110,022nd in the world) for Most Politically Free Nations
• 11th in the region (90,568th in the world) for Stupidest Citizens
• 11th (-4) in the region (97,128th (-17,152) in the world) for Nudist
• 11th in the region (107,512th in the world) for Rudest Citizens