Difference between revisions of "Isselmere-Nieland"

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The United Kingdom of Isselmere-Nieland (UKIN) is a sovereign North Atlantic state situated primarily in the southern third of Lethe, the largest of the Lethian Islands located midway between Iceland to the northwest and Ireland to the southwest, bordering the Principality of Gudrof to the southwest, the republics of Wingeria and Hoblingland to the north, the Lethian Sea to the east, and the Solquist Sea to the west. The UKIN is often referred to as Isselmere-Nieland, or more rarely as the United Kingdom.

The UKIN is a quasi-federal constitutional monarchy. The present dynasty, the House of Glaines-Oldmarch, dates back to the Act of Settlement, 1557, although direct succession along the combined patrilineal-matrilineal line dates back much earlier. The current federal state emerged from the Constitution Act, 1986, that separated the then undivided unitary state into four devolved autonomous regions of Anguist, Detmere, Isselmere, and Nieland, the first two of which are still officially part of the third, the Kingdom of Isselmere.

Historically, Isselmere-Nieland has been aloof from most international matters, but in recent years circumstances have forced the United Kingdom into a more active and interventionist role in world politics. The UKIN is currently a member of several alliances, most importantly the Organisation of Maritime Powers and the Woodstock Pact.

The UKIN is a socially progressive country with a very highly developed economy. Isselmere-Nieland is noted within Lethe for its publishing and automotive industries, although its information technology and shipbuilding sectors have achieved some foreign successes.

United Kingdom of Isselmere-Nieland
Isslamensk-Nylensk Sameinuðu Kóngsríkin
Ríupeð hOntaic an Uíslaed-Nígúlad

Flag
Never so far as you wish it was.
Map n/a
Region	Lethe
Capital Royal Palace Parliament	Daurmont Wentworth Palace Pechtas Castle
Head of State	HRH King Henry V
Head of Government	The Rt Hon Geoffrey Middleton, Prime Minister
Unification Anguist Detmere Nieland	27 October 863 19 May 985 21 September 1015 25 June 1562
Holidays Official Coronation Day Union Day Constitution Day Unofficial Day of Happy Regrets Toel's Day	19 May (985) 25 June (1562) 24 March (1986) 15 February (999) 12 December (1349)
Constitution	Constitution Act, 1986
Political Order	Constitutional monarchy
Government	Parliamentary democracy
Legislature English Nielander Anguistian	Bicameral parliament Parliament Parlamentet Párlamaed
Legal Tradition(s)	Mix of common and civil law
Spoken Languages Official	English, Nielander, Anguistian
Five largest megalopoleis Greater Daurmont (Isselmere) - 46.7 million Chilton-Mithesburgh-Grimsby Downs (Anguist) - 38.3 million Paskenby-Felsingburgh-Sleethaven (Nieland) - 32.5 million Fennerby-Blackridge-Gorman (Detmere) - 27.9 million Cosgreave-Thistlemoor-Coalsport (Isselmere) - 26.8 million
Area Total % Water	862,863 km² 28.1% water
Population (2005)	4,609,236,417
National Animal English	Sterna sterna canescens Hoary tern
National Flower English	Rosa chinensis Yellow rose
National Tree English	Quercus huisensis Huise oak
Economy	Frightening
CHDI (2006)	0.943 (high)
GDP (USD, 2005) Total Per capita	$171,193,317,059,971.13 $37,143.27
Currency	1 lethse (£; IN£) = 100 pence (p)
Time Zone	GMT/UTC -0100
International Abbreviations	UKIN
Maritime Craft Naval Auxiliary Civilian	HINMS RINFA (IN)SS
National Anthem	The Road to Prosperity
Internet TLD	.ukin
Calling Code	+92

History

• For the origins of Isselmere-Nieland, please see the History of Isselmere-Nieland.

Geography

The UKIN dominates the southern third of the main island, Lethe. The Ungforth Marshes have historically protected the northwestern frontier of the United Kingdom from the Republic of Wingeria, whilst the north and northwest borders face Hoblingland. The Lethian or East Irish Sea washes upon the eastern coastline as the Solquist Sea crashes upon that of the west. To the southwest of the UKIN is the small, sovereign Principality of Gudrof.

Physical Geography

Isselmere-Nieland possesses a stark natural beauty. The physical geography of the United Kingdom is full of many important features, some beautiful, some distinctly unhealthy. These are the aforementioned Ungforth Marshes forming the northern reaches of Anguist, the Quismond Mountains dividing Nieland from Isselmere, Mount Thurbel standing alone in the middle of Isselmere, and Lake Bormunst, a circular body of water in northeastern Detmere.

For many travellers, the Ungforth Marshes are certainly unhealthy, but for the experienced and prepared researcher, they do have a charm all their own. Beyond being a perfect breeding ground for midges, the Marshes are home to a wide assortment of strange fauna. Amongst the unique mammals and birds is a diminutive, endangered species of deer, known to nineteenth-century sportsmen and contemporary animal watchers as the Ungforth or Barley-tail deer (Rangifer angfortensis). Peat bogs comprise most of the marshlands that were used by early Anguistians and Anglo-Frisians for human and animal sacrifices and executions.

Next upon the natural features itinerary are the Quismond Mountains. The mountains are an extinct chain of volcanoes that remind the inhabitants of Lethe's fiery origins. The range has endured many millennia of erosion by wind, precipitation, and glaciers, reducing many of its members to mere shadows of their original height. Even so, the mountains do make a comfortable home to the ash pika (Ochotona quismondi) and the Strabane ibex (Capra strabensis).

Apart from the Quismond Mountains, quite literally, is Mount Thurbel. Thurbel is the highest natural point in the UKIN (2427 m), is a dormant shield volcano. Studies have indicated that Thurbel is the remnant of the eruption from which Lethe emerged. Consequently, it is a subject of great interest to local vulcanologists, but since the mountain no longer even smoulders, most tourists avoid it, to their misfortune. Despite Thurbel's inactivity, it feeds many nearby geothermal springs reputed to have therapeutic qualities and which create a veritable botanical paradise around the mountain. Many Isselmere-Nielanders unable to venture south during the dreary winter months visit the natural baths and are understanably loath to acquaint casual travellers with the tradition.

Last in the list, but certainly not last in importance, is Lake Bormunst. Created by a meteoroid impact briefly (geologically speaking) after the eruption that formed Lethe, the lake and its surrounding area are an important region for mineralogical exploitation. Before industrialisation, Lake Bormunst had been home to a species of trout (Salmo argenti), but mining and overfishing led rapidly to its extinction.

Climate

Isselmere-Nieland has a sub-arctic-to-temperate climate thanks primarily to the Gulf Stream. The UKIN receives precipitation of one form or another most of the year, with skies being overcast up to three-fifths of the year. The western coast facing the Atlantic Ocean, comprising the regions of Anguist and Nieland, receives the most rain, sometimes as much as 3000 mm per year. The southern and eastern coasts along the Lethian Sea typically expect about 2600 mm annually. Unsurprisingly, all three national languages have many words for precipitation and cold that they share liberally amongst one another.

Although the weather does tend towards the wet, it is highly variable, mostly due to strong winds blown in by the North Atlantic Current. Travellers are advised to dispense with umbrellas and to adopt raingear such as macintoshes instead.

During the summer months, the UKIN can be infested with midges, especially in northern Anguist near the Ungforth Marshes. The midges are more of a nuisance than a health hazard, but they can be disconcerting to first-time visitors.

Many Isselmere-Nielanders are greatly concerned about the possibility of global warming as many communities and industries are located along the country’s shores. The government's Meteorological Institute is studying the matter closely.

Politics

The UKIN is a quasi-federal representative constitutional monarchy founded upon the primacy of law embodied within its written constitution, statutes enacted by Parliament and enforced by the judiciary, and traditions passed down through the centuries. Elections to Parliament and bodies of local government are through direct universal adult suffrage.

Constitution

Since 1986, the United Kingdom of Isselmere-Nieland possesses a written constitution that consolidates much of the broad host of laws and other documents as well as codifying some of the conventions that have become an essential part of parliamentary ceremony. The two constituent kingdoms of the United Kingdom, those of Isselmere and Nieland, became a hyphenated whole reflecting the political union of the crowns arising from the Act of Consolidation. The Act of 1562 united the kingdoms' parliaments, with selected members of the Storting of Nieland joining those of the Parliament of Isselmere in Pechtas Castle in 1562.

As the centuries passed, antipathy towards the Act of Consolidation grew, particularly within Nieland in spite of the generous degree of autonomy granted to that nation. Demands for the re-establishment of the Storting grew in strength when the Austrian Empire was forced to accede to Magyar pleas for a measure of independence with the creation of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Pressures on the monarchy increased further with the Versailles Treaty of 1919 and the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1921. Agitation for greater freedom spread to Anguist and Detmere throughout the twentieth-century culminating in a welter of riots during the 1960s.

Parliament, on the urging of King Robert V, finally addressed the concerns of various peoples in August 1977 with the formation of the Constitutional Commission. The Commission studied a variety of possible formulae before deciding eight years later upon the creation of a federal state and the devolution of the Kingdom of Isselmere. Anguist became the Principality of Anguist whilst Detmere officially became a Grand Duchy, leading to a revision of the line of succession. Under the terms of the proposed Constitution, the Crown Prince (or Princess) became His/Her Royal Grace the Grand Duke (or Duchess) of Detmere, whilst the second in line to the throne became the Prince of Anguist. The eldest relative of the House of Oldmarch often serves as the Lord High Commissioner of Nieland, whilst the eldest sibling of the reigning monarch typically becomes the Lord High Commissioner of Isselmere, although day-to-day administration is usually left to Lords Commissioners.

Promulgation of the Constitution Act, 1986 solidified the position of the Monarch and codified the rules of succession. The United Kingdom of Isselmere and Nieland ceased to be a quasi-binary state and became a quasi-federal entity composed of four autonomous regions:

• a smaller Kingdom of Isselmere;
• the Principality of Anguist, its administration detached from that of Isselmere-proper;
• the Grand Duchy of Detmere, likewise devolved from Isselmere-proper; and,
• the Kingdom of Nieland, with the territories it possessed in 1562.

The United Kingdom of Isselmere-Nieland has three official languages, English (Isselmere-Nielander), Anguistian, and Nielander, a Union Parliament still seated in Pechtas Castle (as is the Isselmerian Parliament, albeit within smaller chambers), and a judiciary united at the highest level.

Monarch

As a constitutional monarchy, the law and Parliament and not the monarch alone is sovereign. Even so, for ease of reference, the Constitution Act, 1986 refers to the monarch, styled the King or Queen of Isselmere-Nieland, as the Sovereign. (For convenience sake and convenience only, I will subsequently refer to the Sovereign solely with the male pronoun and terminology.) The King is addressed as His Isselmerian and Nielander Majesty, or simply His Majesty. Isselmerian or Nielander dukes, foreign royals, and select foreign heads of state — namely, President Sarzo of Sarzonia and Grand Admiral Jim of Jimnam — may refer to him as Your Grace.

The King is the Lord High Steward of Glaines and Oldmarch, the royal houses of Isselmere and Nieland respectively, a title which a Regent assumes should there either the heir be a minor or if there is no clear successor. Regents are typically the Queen Consort or the eldest brother of the former king, who serves as head of state in conjunction with a Regency Council. The composition of the Regency Council is outlined in the Constitution Act, 1986.

The title of Lord Protector of Gudrof is a conceit since most of the Principality of Gudrof, except for the province of Upper Gudrovia, is now ruled by the distaff branch of the House of Glaines-Oldmarch. Gudrof, which was only tentatively part of the kingdom through marriage since 1653, separated peacefully from the United Kingdom of Isselmere and Nieland in 1899. Gudrof and Isselmere-Nieland still maintain close and amiable relations.

The Crown Prince is the Grand Duke of Detmere and the second in line to the throne is the Prince of Anguist.

Parliament

With the exception of certain issues falling under royal prerogative, legislative authority rests with Parliament. Parliament is the supreme legislature of the United Kingdom, consisting of the Sovereign and a two deliberative Houses. The Senate is the Upper House of Parliament and the House of Assembly is the Lower House. In common parlance, Parliament is taken to mean only the two Houses.

Most legislation may be initiated by either House, with the exception of bills of supply (money bills), which must be brought before the Lower House first. In theory, the Sovereign-in-Parliament alone may make laws by granting royal assent to bills passed by both Houses, with the Sovereign presiding over a joint session of Parliament in the Hall of Congregation of Pechtas Castle, declaring with each bill he promulgates "The King wills it." In practice, this ceremonial acceptance of the legislature's will is typically performed but once a month and typically by the Sovereign's appointed representatives, the Lords Commissioners.

Every bill passed by Parliament must possess three signatures, those of the Speaker of the House of Assembly, the President of the Senate, and the Sovereign or, should there be a Regency, that of the Regent and the President of the Regency Council. Government bills must also bear the signature(s) of the initiating minister(s), as private member bills must be signed by the respective initiating Member of Parliament.

The Sovereign may reject a bill, a very rare occurrence that is not lightly taken, or may make suggestions on sections therein. If a bill on a matter other than one affecting the nature of the monarchy or of royal prerogative is presented to the Sovereign by the legislature three times, the bill is considered to have royal assent.

The Sovereign may prompt the Houses to initiate legislation on matters falling outside of royal prerogative in a Royal Audience held before a joint session of Parliament. King Henry V (r. 2004-present) did so to request the Houses and particularly the Government of the day to repudiate the order for the Europa dreadnought.

Parliament since the Constitution Act

Constitutionally, Parliament — of which the King is merely a constituent part — is sovereign, but as the Houses of Parliament serve to limit the powers of the monarch and His Majesty's Government, so to does the Constitution circumscribe the absolute authority of Parliament. The Constitution Act, 1986 refers to the King as the Sovereign as a gender-neutral term in preference to the alternative, monarch, with its implications of direct rule. Even so, the King still possesses great authority preserved by lack of abuse by previous kings and queens.

Until the introduction of the written constitution, Parliament had been paramount, in theory able to repeal any law adopted by previous parliaments and to promulgate any new laws that the current parliament desired, albeit in practice constrained by the unwritten, living constitution and the judiciary. With the Constitution Act, the law and not the legislature is supreme.

Since the Constitution Act formalised and codified existing conventions and customs, it was not considered an unconstitutional law, despite the claims of several groups such as the Loyal Monarchist Party and the Council of Peers.

Houses of Parliament

For over four centuries, Parliament has sat in Pechtas Castle in the City of Isling, Greater Daurmont Alderdom, Isselmere. The Castle itself has been rebuilt many times since its original construction in the tenth century AD, such that it bears little resemblance to that original edifice.

The nomadic life of earlier King's Councils gradually declined with the reduction Viking raids and campaigns against various neighbours in the eleventh and twelfth centuries.

The House of Assembly sits in the Hall of Audience, the Senate within the Hall of Counsel, and joint sessions in the Hall of Congregation.

Origins

Parliament is the oldest State institution within the UKIN, dating back to the informal council of nobles that assembled on the death of Queen-Regent Maldren in 1013 to decide upon the next king. With the appointment of King Joergen I, the council of magnates established itself as the King's Council (Curia Regis). The first instance of the term Curia Regis appears in a complaint by Eadwuld the Simperer, abbot of St Joergen's against the Baron of Mossbrook.

"My lords of the King's Council ... The Earl of Mossbrook violates the Abbey's lands, its livestock, and its tenants. Indeed, his lordship offends God and the King with his rapine of these lands held for the return of Our Lord."

This missive also reveals the broad scope of earlier parliaments. As the King's Council's functions grew in number, its membership expanded and diversified (i.e., included commoner magnates, the gentry and the burgesses) and its powers increased. The House of Lords, predecessor to the present-day Senate, retained a stranglehold on the judiciary whilst the Assembly of Burgesses defended the rights of the towns. Able kings could manipulate the two Houses against one another to achieve their own aims. The weak, the vain, or the disinterested would instead promote unity within and between the fractious councils.

Unlike Parliament in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the Isselmere-Nielander Parliament, taken in the conventional sense, never did displace the monarchy. The arrival of the Reformation in Isselmere and Nieland produced a battle within Pechtas Castle that almost resulted in the overthrow of a tolerant king, Edmund II (r. 1651-1684), but instead produced the Act of Toleration, 1684.

Political parties

• General Elections only (i.e., to the House of Assembly).

Government

The Council of Ministers is the seat of most executive authority, with royal prerogative comprising the remainder. The Sovereign or his or her Lord(s) Commissioner(s) may preside over plenary meetings of the Council of Ministers, but only in an advisory capacity. In truth, the Prime Minister is responsible for the day-to-day running of the Government. The Prime Minister is chosen by the Sovereign from members of the House of Assembly, which may reject the royal selection in favour of a candidate of its own choosing. The Prime Minister, on consultation with the Sovereign, then appoints the other Ministers.

The General Council of Judicature (GCJ) administers the operation of the national and nationally-appointed judiciary. The GCJ serves as the supreme disciplinary body for judges and justices throughout the UKIN.

Despite these three bodies, it is the Council of State that is the de jure voice of the nation. The Council of State consists of the Sovereign or his or her Royal Commissioner(s), the Council of Ministers, the Council of Peers, the General Council of the Judicature, and the Privy Council. Formerly, the Temple Council, which governed the Reformed Church of Isselmere, was part of the Council of State, until the Church was disestablished in 2004. As noted above, the Council of Ministers, headed by the Prime Minister, is the de facto government. The Council of Peers advises the Sovereign on matters concerning the nobility, while the General Council of the Judicature advises the Sovereign on judicial issues. In practice, the Sovereign has little or no influence on the GCJ and custom, as well as the Constitution, has made the Sovereign subject to the advice of the Council of Ministers. The Sovereign may also obtain the advice of his or her Privy Council, although generally that body is composed of active senior government ministers.

As stated above, the Privy Council is generally considered part of the royal retinue. It is chaired by the Lord Advocate, who must not be confused with the Advocate General. Within the Council of State, the Privy Council defends the rights of bodies bearing royal charters, such as public universities, certain municipalities (royal boroughs), and Crown corporations.

Administrative Divisions

The UKIN is divided into four autonomous regions (Anguist, Detmere, Isselmere, and Nieland), which are subdivided into twenty-nine provinces and further into 349 alderdoms or counties. Below the alderdoms are districts, boroughs, and municipalities.

The four regions each have their own viceroy (Lord High Commissioner) and legislature, which are responsible for the subordinate jurisdictions therein. The provinces are in turn governed by Lords Lieutenant appointed by the respective Lord High Commissioner and by elected provincial councils. Both the regions and the provinces are permanent administrative divisions that may not be altered save by Act of Parliament ratified by popular referendum.

Anguist

The Principality of Anguist abuts the North Atlantic, facing Iceland and the Arctic Ocean, sharing borders with Nieland to the southwest, Isselmere and Detmere to the east, and Lower Whingeing to the north. Anguist is the home of Anguistian language and culture as well as the Royal Shipyards of Isselmere-Nieland. The Principality is the smallest of the UKIN's autonomous regions by area and third largest by population, with its six provinces containing 15.4 per cent of the UKIN's total. The capital is Mithesburgh (Ang. Cérmidhe).

Detmere

The Grand Duchy of Detmere is the easternmost region within the United Kingdom. The Grand Duchy's northern and northeastern borders face Hoblingland, the Tichonian Sea separating the UKIN from Ireland washes over Detmere's eastern coastline, whilst the southern and southwestern frontiers meet northern Isselmere. Detmere's northwestern borders face Anguist. Detmere is the second smallest region by size and the least populous as well, with 14.7 per cent of the United Kingdom's population. The capital of Detmere is Semling.

Isselmere

Isselmere is the most densely inhabited and largest of the four regions with 38.2 per cent of the population. The Kingdom is separated from Nieland to the west by the heavily eroded Quimpot Mountains that run much of the length of that frontier. Anguist faces Isselmere to the northwest, as does Detmere in the northeast. The Tichonian Sea forms the border of much of the east and south of the Kingdom. The boundary between the Kingdom and the small sovereign Principality of Gudrof is to the southwest. The capital of Isselmere is Daurmont.

Nieland

The Kingdom of Nieland is the largest and second most populated region within the UKIN. With 31.7 per cent of the citizenry, Nieland is the buffer between its larger eastern neighbour and the two smaller regions of Anguist and Detmere. Nieland is home both to a strident independence movement and to many of the UKIN's publishing and information technology (IT) firms, a fact which worries many non-Nielander Union politicians. The capital of Nieland is Felsingburgh (Nie. Felsingborg, Ang. Cérglanís).

Population

Blessed by history with stable government and by fate with remoteness from much Continental European strife, Isselmere-Nielanders tend towards conservatism and isolationism, despite often being known for their ebullient good humour when meeting strangers. These contradictions – socially progressive but culturally conservative, isolationist but welcoming – may perplex some travellers to the United Kingdom, as will the wet weather and the importance of regional identity to some Isselmere-Nielanders, yet beyond those obstacles lies a starkly beautiful country with a long tradition of distilling some of the best, most potent whiskey west of Scotland.

Ethnicity

Ethnicity is a difficult topic to contend with in the United Kingdom. Broadly, the population according to the latest census (2001) falls into the following general categories:

• White: 82.7%
• Black: 6.2%
• East Asian ancestry: 5.9%
• South Asian ancestry: 5.2%

White Isselmere-Nielanders comprise a diverse group from the native Isselmere-Nielander cultures, British and Irish immigrants, from Continental Europe just before and after the two World Wars, from Southwest Asia (i.e., the Near East) and North Africa, and from such nations as Sarzonia in more recent times. The category also includes descendents from Northern peoples such as native Greenlanders and Inuit peoples.

According to recorded history, Black Isselmere-Nielanders began arriving with the United Kingdom's involvement with the slave trade from the mid-seventeenth- to the late-eighteenth-centuries. Slave owning within Isselmere-Nieland was not common. The United Kingdom served mostly as a depot for British and American vessels returning from the Caribbean and North America, but some servants of African origin did establish themselves within Isselmere-Nieland, occasionally with great success, of whom Stuart Kendall is the foremost example.

Voluntary Black immigration to Isselmere-Nieland began with a trickle starting in the late nineteenth-century that became a steady but light flow in the 1960s, mostly from Britain's former empire in the Caribbean and Africa. This influx of new settlers did spark racialist tensions within cities (Cottersfield Riots) that the King Robert V and the government of the day were swift to denounce. With the steady improvement of the economy, an ambitious educational plan (that some critics have argued is avowedly assimilationist), and intermarriage with the predominant White as well as the Asian communities, inter-community strife has declined to negligible levels.

East and South Asian immigration has typically followed that of Black Isselmere-Nielanders. Immigration to Isselmere-Nieland by Chinese, Korean, and some Japanese settlers began at the turn of the twentieth-century. Declarations against a Yellow Peril by several political parties, notably the Conservatives and Labour, led to a brief cessation of East Asian immigration from 1904-1933. Japan's war with China from 1932-1945 changed opinions towards Chinese immigration, as did the Korean War for Korean immigration in the 1950s. Inter-marriage has played a significant role in the East Asian communities, leading to the diminution of the small Japanese- and larger Korean-Isselmere-Nielander communities to almost nought. The older and much larger Chinese-Isselmere-Nielander CIN community has maintained some of its identity, although some Chinese-Isselmere-Nielanders feel its retention has been at the cost of becoming a museum culture or tourist attraction.

Settlers of South Asian descent from the Indian sub-continent as well as Britain's imperial holdings in Africa and the Pacific have likewise become an essential part of Isselmere-Nielander culture and the United Kingdom's economic success. Immigration began in force in the early twentieth-century, tailing off during and between the two World Wars before recommencing at some pace following the division of British India into Pakistan and India. Inter-marriage between South Asians and the other three ethnic categories is quite common nowadays, especially within the urban boroughs.

As noted above, the lines between the White, Black, and Asian ethnic groups are imprecise owing to the degree of inter-marriage between the groups, with the census merely reflecting the opinion of the respondents.

Education

Education, along with social equality, is a fundamental subject for Union and regional government policy. Within the UKIN, the Union government outlines general policies and establishes certain curriculum standards through framework legislation, but it is commonly the responsibility of the devolved governments to enact and administer those policies and to regulate and institute the specifics governing education. Educational institutions are predominantly public (i.e., State funded), yet private institutions are permitted to operate so long as the students' basic educational requirements are met.

Broadly, there are four educational levels: nursery school, primary education, secondary education, and higher education. All public levels are funded by both the Union and regional governments. Levels frequently consist of component stages or phases, during which teachers and parents monitor and assess the student's advancement. Compulsory education lasts from about five years of age to sixteen years of age, but most Isselmere-Nielander children continue on until the age of majority (eighteen years of age) and beyond.

Unlike many school systems, the Isselmere-Nielander educational year, which begins in September, may last until the middle of the subsequent August, depending upon the weather. Technological advancements have permitted distance education (tele-education), but most parents — and odder still, most students — would prefer the children to attend school even during the miserable winter months. Free nutritional hot or cold meals are served thrice daily for students in compulsory education that are well attended by the student body.

Nursery School

• Ages: Toddler-5 years
• Crèche: 6 months-2 years
• Nursery school: 2 years-5 years

Nursery school, typically for children aged from two to five years of age, is a non-compulsory stage that is well-supported by both parents and the State. Early childhood education programmes in Isselmere-Nielander universities blossomed with the introduction of the stage in 1961, which has been cited as one of the reasons for the UKIN's strong economic development and the social and educational success of many working class children.

In 1973, Parliament, in conjunction with industry, introduced a new Crèche stage aimed at helping working single mothers return to the job sooner. Taking in children of twelve months of age, or in some instances younger, the phase has proven very successful.

Secondary language education may begin in nursery school. Both Anguist and Nieland offer bilingual education in their regional language, and all four regions offer bilingual education in a number of other modern languages as well, including Latin and Pacitalian.

Primary Education

• Ages: 5-11 years
• (Primary) School: Years 1-6

Primary education is first compulsory educational level. Prospective students ought to be five years of age before beginning their studies, although provisions permit children of four years of age who will turn five in the course of the school year to attend if they pass an initial assessment examination. Primary or elementary education usually comprises six years of learning (Years 1-6) and consists of two stages, a two-year Introductory Phase (Years 1-2) followed by a four-year Elementary Instruction Phase (Years 3-6).

Secondary language instruction begins at the primary level, typically by the third year but often before. Should primary instruction be predominantly in a language other than English, instruction in English grammar and language will begin by Year 4 in both public and certified private educational institutions.

Advancement to the subsequent Year is wholly dependent upon the student's demonstrated capabilities. The State-wide rate of failure (i.e., retention rate) is listed as 2.3 per cent across the entire six-year level. Students granted enhanced advancement (i.e., bypassing a school Year) comprise 1.8 per cent of all primary education students, with many gifted students opting for enriched programmes instead.

Secondary Education

• Ages: 11-18
• High School: Forms 1-6 (SAGA and COSI)
• College: Forms 7-8 (CASE)

Students tend to begin secondary education at eleven years of age. Secondary education consists of three phases. The first two stages are of three years each (Forms 1-6), lasting generally until the official school-leaving age of sixteen years or the end of the currently attended school year, whichever comes last. The final stage provides a further two years of education to prepare students either for higher education or to train them for a skilled vocation.

The first two stages are taught within high schools or similar private institutions. The first is the Initial Assessment Phase (IAP; Forms 1-3). Beginning with this phase, pupils not currently enrolled in a modern language are required to choose one for their next six years of study. The IAP ends with comprehensive Student Aptitudes General Assessment (SAGA) examinations. SAGA examinations are intended to indicate the particular strengths and weaknesses of each student, directing him or her towards programmes best suited to his or her talents. Pupils are not, however, streamed towards either academic or vocational programmes at this stage.

At the start of Form 3, students are requested to note which optional subjects they will take in the next phase of their education, the Academic Evaluation Phase (AEP; Forms 4-6). (After the SAGA examinations, students may re-visit and re-select their choices.) This second stage prepares students for another set of examinations, leading to a Certificate of Ordinary Secondary Instruction (COSI).

Results from the COSI examinations stream pupils towards one of four types of college that make up the third phase of secondary education:

• academic, which prepares the student for an academic or general studies college;
• general, which allows the pupil the choice of attending an academic, general, or technical college;
• technical, which readies the student for administration, business, engineering, or the sciences; and,
• vocational for training skilled workers, technicians, and junior managers.

Placement in one or the other colleges is not absolute and competent students may transfer between institutions, albeit not persistently. The Collegiate Phase (Forms 7-8) culminates in a series of examinations leading to one of four Certificates of Advanced Secondary Education (CASE).

Concerns about the reliability of SAGA, COSI, and CASE examinations in determining the true capabilities of the examined pupils led to the establishment in 1982 of the UKIN Secondary Examinations Appeals Board that studies and rules upon appeals and complaints laid before the various boards and ministries of Education.

Higher Education

Higher education serves many purposes, such as replenishing the liberal professions, advancing research in the arts and the sciences, and training technicians in other skilled careers. Secondary school graduates who have received their CASE or mature students who have obtained its equivalent — a Certificate for Adult Continuing or Higher Education (CACHE) — may proceed into higher education. The type of institution of higher education to which a prospective student might apply is dependent upon the sort of CASE or CACHE he or she has secured. Establishments of higher education fall into two broad categories — general and professional education — that are further sub-divided into institutions offering either short or long curricula. These institutions are:

• university colleges;
• university institutes;
• universities; and,
• institutes.

University colleges and universities provide general instruction whilst university institutes and institutes train skilled professionals.

University-Colleges

University-colleges are the most numerous institutions of higher education, providing short two- to three-year programmes of instruction in general studies in the arts and sciences as well as some related vocations. Typically, university-colleges are independent establishments not affiliated with universities, although university-college graduates may continue their education in the latter institutions. University-colleges may grant associate degrees or diplomas of university studies, but a small number have been accredited to offer baccalaureate degrees.

Most university-colleges are publicly-funded and -operated bodies typically administered by alderdoms or municipalities, but there are some private institutions as well. Such private establishments are usually run by and for the upper classes and receive little, if any, public funding, most of which is used to maintain the grounds. In recent years, two such elite university-colleges, Kenilworth and Wittering-Houlten, became acquisitions of the State when falling registration and mounting costs to upkeep the ancient buildings and gardens became insurmountable obstacles to continued operation. Other private university-colleges are primarily operated by corporate collectives keen to promote pariochal paternalism.

In accordance with the Disestablishment Act, 2004, spiritually-based university-colleges, unlike religious primary and secondary schools, may not receive any public funding or donations from any governmental body, including the monarchy. Such institutions are, however, well-attended by scions of the aristocracy.

University Institutes

Unlike university-colleges, university institutes are commonly connected with a parent university.

Economy

Industries

Owing to massive investment in education, social equality, and defence by Union and regional governments, the book publishing, automotive, and information technology sectors have blossomed.

The Royal Shipyards of Isselmere-Nieland (RSIN) is the largest nationalised industry in the UKIN and a noted manufacturer of warships. Though now outclassed in terms of foreign sales by Sarzonia's Portland Iron Works (PIW) and Praetonia's Imperial Praetonian Shipyards (IPS), the RSIN is still strongly supported by the Royal Isselmere-Nieland Navy (RINN) and the Jimnam Grand Navy (JGN). Its headquarters are in the northern city of Grimsby Downs, Anguist.

Umberton and Throckmorton (U&T) are the largest publishers in the UKIN, produces textbooks and educational multimedia for all instructional levels. U&T was once the primary publisher of religious texts for the Reformed Church of Isselmere (RCI) as well as other Christian sects and other faiths. With the RCI's disestablishment, U&T has removed itself from the religious market. Since 1915, U&T have supported young writers with the Great Authors in the Making (GAMUT) award. For each category, a jury of twelve authors and six publishers judge the works. The GAMUT is most frequently awarded to challenging and innovative works of fiction and non-fiction. U&T's central offices may be found in Cailliecross, Daurmont, Isselmere.

Turing-Babbage Integrated Technology Services, plc (T-BITS) is the UKIN's largest information technology (IT) company. Many of its hardware components may be found in everything from the latest generation fighter jets to little Tommy or Sara's toys. T-BITS head offices are in Stettering, Nieland.

Isselmere Motor Works (IMW) of Thistlemoor, Isselmere, is a major producer of military land vehicles as well as marine and aircraft engines. IMW has established foreign centres of production in Russkya and Rusokaria.

Lyme and Martens Industries (LMI) was formerly a major manufacturer of uncrewed vehicles, but its markets have fallen by the wayside with the growth of products from Clan Smoke Jaguar's industries and other foreign firms. LMI's headquarters is in Ponsonby, Detmere.

Detmerian Aerospace Dynamics (DAS) is a mostly domestic industry, though it has achieved some foreign success with its Sea Fury and Spectre designs. Its central office is located in Fennerby, Detmere.

Defence Forces

The United Kingdom of Isselmere-Nieland Defence Forces (UKIN-DF) consist of the Royal Isselmere-Nieland Navy (RINN), the Isselmere-Nielander Army (INA), the Royal Isselmere-Nieland Air Force (RINAF), and the Isselmere-Nieland Orbital Defence Force (INODF).

RINN

The RINN consists of a broad assortment of vessels, from coastal patrol vessels to a pair of Europa-class super dreadnoughts. At its highest level, it is administered by the Admiralty, comprising of the First Lord of the Admiralty (i.e. the Secretary of State for the Navy) and the three Sea Lords. The First Sea Lord is the Chief of Naval Staff (CNS) whilst the Second Sea Lord is the Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) and the Third Sea Lord is the Chief of Naval Resources (CNR).

Organisationally, the RINN possesses two navies, the Navy of the White that guards the UKIN's coastline and immediate interests and the Navy of the Blue that defends the State's broader strategic interests. Beneath each navy are fleet groups of several fleets, such as the Home Fleet Group with the 1st (Isselmere) and 16th (Detmere) fleets. The fleets are further sub-divided into squadrons, such as the 1st Expeditionary Squadron comprising of two expeditionary (task) groups. Administratively, similar unit types are collected into divisions -- for instance, the 14th Destroyer Division of the 4th (Northern Gap) Fleet.

The RINN is in fact a small version of the UKIN-DF with its own army, air force, and strategic defence force. The "army" is the Royal Isselmere-Nieland Marines (RINM), which have their own air arm, the Royal Isselmere-Nieland Marine Air Service (RINMAS), as well. The RINM operates mostly from Expeditionary Groups, although most naval ships possess Marine detachments, alternatively providing or to fend off boarding parties. The RINMAS provides the air contingent on amphibious vessels.

Furthermore, the RINN operates the Coastal Defence Force (CDF), a network of coastal artillery stations and units, in conjunction with the INA.

The Fleet Air Arm (FAA) is the Navy's air force. It performs maritime patrol (MARPAT) as well as carrier- and some land-based air defence and strike functions. The FAA works closely with the RINAF to secure the State's coastlines and economic zones.

The (Naval) Strategic Defence Force (SDF) is the umbrella organisation for the State's ballistic missile submarine (SSBN) contingent.

Travellers' Provisos

The Isselmere-Nielander love of cultural conservation can be overstressed, but not by much. Architecture within the UKIN varies from early medieval to the ultra-modern, often within the space of a few city blocks. Sightseers should not be unduly concerned that the older monuments and edifices they wish to visit are currently under restoration, particularly during Lethe’s short spring and autumn, as there are many others from which to choose. Visitors might remark upon the prevalence of book shops, which often rival the number of tea houses and coffee bars in many Isselmere-Nielander towns and cities, and might be astounded by being asked what book one is currently reading.

As a conservative people, Isselmere-Nielanders observe traditions that might appear strange to the newcomer, such as the Day of Happy Regrets and Toel’s Day, both of which have caused great consternation among many foreign observers that the locals understandably find hilarious. Travellers to the United Kingdom are recommended either to plan their holidays around such occasions or to simply succumb to the spirit of the day.

Please note:

• Isselmere-Nielander English sounds like Scottish English spoken with an Icelandic accent. In other words, imagine Björk speaking like a Glaswegian, or vice versa, really.
• There are three national languages in the UKIN: English, Anguistian, and Nielander. Except if one encounters a radical Anguistian or Nielander nationalist, one is advised to steer clear of the latter two languages. Should one encounter a radical nationalist, it is best to simply steer clear altogether.
• Since 1986, the UKIN consists of four autonomous regions (regions, Ang. úlaédh, Nie. svæði): Anguist, Detmere, Isselmere, and Nieland. Do not refer to the UKIN as Isselmere even within Isselmere, for there one is likely to receive a long lecture about the United Kingdom’s history. Elsewhere, one might receive a punch in the mouth.
• Tourists must be aware that despite the often miserable weather, public inebriation is viewed with opprobrium and will almost undoubtedly land one in gaol.