Kelssek

Kelssek

Flag and Coat of Arms of Kelssek
Onmis invito libertas (All welcomed into freedom)
Full version: click here
Spoken Languages  - Official  - Unofficial	English, French Japanese, Chinese, Arabic, Hindi, Russian
Capital	Neorvins
Largest city	Kirkenes
Ten largest metropolitan agglomerations Greater Kirkenes Area — 27,199,546 Greater Outineau-Dorval — 22,667,242 Neorvins Federal Territory — 15,014,984 Burnaby/Lower Lakeland — 14,856,204 Mazinaw — 13,579,698 Vickery — 13,247,388 Saint-Remy/Hull-Gatineau — 12,855,242 Clayquot — 11,976,547 Breton — 11,455,761 Ulyanov — 10,763,974
President	Dominique Drapeau
Prime Minister	Alan Kerk (Green Party)
Area  - Total	4,951,380 sq km
Population  - Total (2007 est., RPed) In-game (18 Aug 2007)	439,971,354 7.47 billion
Establishment  - as Kingdom of Guedia  - as Federation of Kelssek	1522 1889
Government type	Confederation with parliamentary democracy
National animal Common name	Ursus maritimus Polar bear
GDP (FY2005/06)   - Total (USD)   - GDP/capita (USD)	$13.16 trillion $29,919
Currency	Kelssek dollar
Time Zone Summer (DST)	UTC +6 to +8 hrs UTC +7 to +9hrs
HDI (2007)	0.953 (high)
National Anthem	The Red and Blue
Internet TLD	.ks
Calling Code	+12, +604

Kelssek is a large, highly developed country located in the East Pacific, known for its quasi-socialist policies and multiculturalism. Kelssek defines itself as a multilingual, multicultural nation and immigration policies have, throughout its history, been welcoming to new immigrants, with the result that from its rural towns to its massive urban conglomerations, it is one of the world's most diverse and cosmopolitan nations. Its people are generally characterised as intelligent, well-educated, believers in social justice with a passion for sports and the arts.

Kelssek is a centralised federation of 12 provinces and 2 territories, governed as a republic. Although the formal name was previously Federation of Kelssek, the words "Federation of" have been dropped from the offical name, though the use of "Federation", for example, in names of naval vessels, continues.

The capital of Kelssek is Neorvins, home to the nation's Parliament - its legislature, the Supreme Court of Kelssek - its highest judicial body, and the Presidential Palace - the official residence of the head of state. Kelssek plays a major role in the regional government of the East Pacific, serving on the regional legislature, and is a member of the International Fair Trade Agreement. Kelssek is widely regarded as a diplomatically powerful nation with a large amount of cultural soft power.

A comprehensive national website is maintained at http://kelssek.tripod.com/

History

Main article: History of Kelssek

Originally, Kelssek was the Kingdom of Guedia, formed by an amalgamation of existing local governments, whose leaders formed the nobility. The first King, Kenneth I, was crowned in 1522, and his descendants ruled the kingdom in relative peace until the popular revolt of 1889. The government of Guedia was based on feudalism, with a transition to an industrialised society having been more or less completed by 1850.

The Federation was established in 1889 after the overthrow of the Guedian Kingdom by a republican revolution led by socialist and anti-monarchist groups. The three principalities of Conroy, Beaulac and Noua Cymru formed a confederation where the three princes, brothers of the deposed king, would take turns at being federal head of state, ruling over the transition to democracy in 1896, with democratic elections for the House of Commons, although the nobility retained control of the Congress of Lords until 1968, when widespread civil unrest sparked by a pro-democracy movement and by alleged price gouging following utility deregulation forced amendment to the Legislative Act, making both houses directly elected by popular vote.

Kelssek suffered from its minor involvement in the 2004 war between Packilvania and 1 Infinite Loop. After Packilvania's attack on Adama Station, Packilvania was ordered to deactivate their embassy hive node. After several days of stalled negoiations, a deadline was set, which passed on 18 October. Military units were ordered to destroy the embassy. In retaliation, Packilvania fired a neutron missile at the downtown core of Mazinaw, the 5th-largest city, killing about 20,000 people. The situation caused widespread anti-Packilvania rioting, including racist attacks against Packilvanians and eventually was brought under control a week later after 166 people had been killed in rioting nationwide, mostly victims of hate crimes - the worst period of civil violence since the 1968 riots.

Kelssek today is relatively peaceful, and known for its lack of drug laws, the high value it places on environmental protection and civil rights, and its generally liberal and socialist policies - it is one of the world's top 5% most liberal nations. However, the growth of right-wing extremism has become a growing issue in recent years, with two violent groups having cropped up. In 2004, a religious anti-abortion group targeted politicians with grenade attacks, and the 2006 August Crisis, which saw the kidnap and murder of a Cabinet minister as well as a spate of bombings of symbols of socialism and the labour movement, have marred Kelssek's otherwise stable, peaceful reputation.

Economy

Main article: Economy of Kelssek

An affluent, high-tech, socialist society, Kelssek has a developed economy characterised by a large public sector and widespread employee-ownership which has led to a high standard of living for its residents. Although these companies are technically considered private enterprises, profit-oriented "private enterprise" as would be recognised in most countries is rare in Kelssek, mostly consisting of innovation- or technology-based start-up firms and small, owner-operated businesses. An extensive welfare state provides the population with free healthcare, free education including university education, employment insurance, child care, and pensions, among many other things, although as a result the population pays very high income tax rates.

Kelssek's economy is reliant on its natural resources and primary industry, although in recent years there has been a large shift to tourism and service industries. Kirkenes is a major financial and business centre. Kelssek is noted for its strong environmental laws and its strict enforcement of workplace and product safety laws. Markets are permitted in most consumer goods industries, but all utility, energy, transport and primary industry companies are either nationalised or strictly regulated, many of the nation's largest companies are state-owned, and the government is generally expected by the populace carefully manage the economy. Worker ownership grew immensely during Kieran Pearson's government but stagnated in the late 20th century, and now Alan Kerk's government has once again begun to encourage such moves. Most unions are members of the Trades Union Congress and combined, organised labour controls about a third of the economy.

Kelssek's main industries are manufacturing, tourism, agriculture and natural resources. With its educated, skilled workforce Kelssek has built a large skill-based manufacturing sector, with a very large civillian aerospace industry. Automobiles, microelectronics and consumer electronics are the other main manufacturing products, while aluminium, iron ore, and uranium are major primary products. Meats, grains, dairy products and citrus fruits are major agricultural products.

Policies of recent governments have focused primarily on development of the services sector and economic self-sufficiency by encouraging as much domestic savings and investment as possible. As Kelssek is already a highly developed nation policy has also emphasised sustainable development, largely due to the influence of the Green Party, which often held the balance of power in Parliament throughout the 1990s and has been the governing party since 2004.

Geography and Climate

Water defines our nation... Water scours and pummels and licks and crashes and floods and buries Kelssek, and has done so for billions of years... when we speak of water, we're speaking of ourselves. - Douglas Coupland, writer.

Kelssek's coastal situation moderates temperatures in the densely populated east, although it can be very cold in the mountainous interior. The capital Neorvins, on the coast, has a relatively mild climate, while Arlingsdale, at 1243m elevation in the interior, has average winter temperatures of -14ºC. Wenerdere is well-known for producing wines and citrus fruits, and fertile grasslands also exist in the provinces of Konoha and Haligonia, which both experience a large amount of orographic rainfall. West of the Etnierian Mountains, large areas of relatively flat prarie wilderness dominate with a large amount of grain farming and ranching being carried out in this region; this region experiences a continental climate.

Kelssek's tourism industry benefits from its abundance of natural beauty, which has historically been fiercely protected by environmental laws. Wenerdere in particular attracts visitors to Glacier National Park, Haligonia to Cape Breton, Kewatin to the Rocky Coast, and national forest reserves in many parts of the country exist. Most cities have urban density regulations to prevent sprawl.

Climographs

Neorvins (elev 11m)
	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Rainfall (mm)	124	126	101	99	104	111	92	97	104	139	135	131
Av. temp (ºC)	-5	-6	-1	6	9	14	18	18	16	10	6	-2

Vickery (elev 722m)
	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Rainfall (mm)	24	20	21	28	46	80	85	65	34	20	22	25
Av. temp (ºC)	-14	-11	-4	5	11	14	17	15	10	5	-4	-10

Ulyanov (elev 190m)
	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Rainfall (mm)	26	25	26	28	50	73	77	74	53	51	48	48
Av. temp (ºC)	-7	-9	-4	4	11	15	17	10	7	5	-2	-4

Burnaby (elev 27m)
	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Rainfall (mm)	145	121	102	69	56	47	31	37	60	116	155	174
Av. temp (ºC)	0	1	2	5	8	11	13	13	10	6	3	1

People and Culture

See also: Culture of Kelssek

Kelssek has always had a very socially liberal society. This is probably traceable to its coastal situation, which has allowed a great deal of immigration and cultural exchange to take place since the time of the Guedian Kingdom. Immigrants are generally welcomed as adding to the rich diversity and flavour of Kelssek's culture.

The majority of Kelssek residents are Caucasian and the second-largest ethnic group of East Asians makes up about 20%. A substantial number of people consider themselves of mixed ethnicity. Kelssek's immigration policy encourages immigrants to preserve their traditions and unique cultures, but to identify themselves with the nation as a whole and with Kelssek's national identity and values - the nature of which is a topic frequently featuring in public discussion, although generally the arts, belief in social justice, and social liberalism are regarded as the main components of it.

Ethnic breakdown

• Caucasian: 54%
  • British Isles origin: 36%
  • French origin: 12%
  • other Caucasian: 7%
• Asian: 19%
• African: 8%
• Arab: 4%
• Mixed background: 14%

Cuisine

Food is a passion in Kelssek and good food is very important to the people. Fresh foods markets featuring local produce can be found in every community. Various certification programs exist to certify foods as organic or authentic to a particular traditional method (Wenerdere cheese, for example) and to guarentee quality. The street food scene is also a feature in some cities. There is no real indigenous "Kelssekian" cuisine; it is a fusion of Italian, French, Japanese, and Southeast Asian influences and the foods of various ethnic groups proliferate in urban restaurants - Japanese and Mediterranean foods are the most popular. "Roasts" - meats roasted in an oven with a variety of spices and seasonings - are also a common food rooted in the country's rural traditions, and seafood is particularly popular. Alcoholic beverages, like wines, liquors, and especially Kelssekian beers, often form a part of local identities and traditions.

Religion

Kelssek is constitutionally a secular state and religion plays a very tiny role, if at all, in Kelssekian society. Over a quarter declare themselves athiests, while almost half the population profess no religion. Religion, or lack thereof, is a very sensitive topic due to what many Kelssekians see as an effort by internal and external religious extremists to impose their values on Kelssek's society. Strong religious feelings are hence generally viewed with suspicion and generally people do not identify themselves through their beliefs. Christianity is the most common religion, followed by Buddhism and Islam.

Religions in Kelssek (2004 census data)

• Protestant - 18%
  • United Church of Kelssek - 11%
  • Anglican - 8%
• No religion - 48%
  • Atheist - 28%
• Roman Catholic - 10%
• Buddhist - 9%
• Muslim - 8%
• Hindu - 4%
• Jewish - 3%

Language

English and French are official languages, but the rate of immigration means a multiplicity of languages are spoken throughout the country. English, the most widely spoken language, is also the common language for communication between the different language groups in Kelssek. Much of the divide between Anglo- and Francophones has been eroded over time, although some cultural tensions do spring up occasionally. Besides English and French, significant immigrant populations speaking many different languages reside in Kelssek. Notable language groups include Japanese, Russian, Hindi, Arabic and Mandarin Chinese.

Sports

Sports play a very important role in Kelssekian culture and major sporting events are liable to paralyse the country. Hockey is Kelssek's unofficial national sport and enjoys almost universal popularity, while rugby is also popular throughout the nation, though to a lesser degree. Football (soccer), tennis, lacrosse, curling and wintersports in general are also popular. There is also a very lively extreme sports scene, especially skateboarding, for which Kelssekian skaters enjoy international recognition. Snowboarding is a popular winter activity, and wakeboarding is popular in the coastal provinces. Water polo has also grown in popularity recently, culminating in the successful launch of a professional league in the spring of 2006 and saw the national men's team winning gold at the Second Summer Olympics.

The major professional sports leagues include the Kelssek Hockey League for ice hockey and the Rugby Superleague for rugby union. The Kelssek Football League for soccer is not as universally popular or well-established, but attracts reasonable crowds. Professional leagues also exist for lacrosse, swimming, curling, water polo, and downhill skiing.

Kelssek's rugby and hockey teams have both had some success at the international level, with the rugby team having reached the quarter-finals of the Rugby World Cup and the national hockey team winning the regional East Pacific Hockey Championship as well as participating in the Cherry Cup. Kelssek is also strong in swimming and in winter sports. The Kelssekian Olympic Committee is responsible for Olympic participation and the success of their Olympians has been greeted with delight by Kelssekians.

Media

Kelssek has a large, vibrant domestic media industry, and produces international-class literature, art, television and cinema. Its media is exported globally, but especially to its East Pacific regional neighbours and to many IFTA countries.

The publicly-funded Kelssek Broadcasting Corporation (KBC) is the dominant terrestrial television company. It operates autonomously from the government and exists alongside private broadcasters, the largest being Channel Twelve Corporation and KelWest. The United Kelssek Broadcasters Corporation (UKBC) is a private company which broadcasts the National Sports Network and is also Kelssek's largest cable and satellite service provider, although a multiplicity of private providers compete in this market. Cable and satellite have very high penetration, with 94% and 73% of households subscribing, respectively. Most terrestrial broadcasting is in high-definition HDTV.

Television has no content regulation or censorship, besides the amount of commercial advertising allowed during a certain period of time, which is 16 minutes per hour. No commercial advertising is allowed during programs whose target audience is children under 13. The KBC is bound by regulations requiring it to have at least 60% locally-produced content in its daily programming but is otherwise free from content restrictions or censorship.

The KBC also operates a nationwide radio network and the World Service, which is broadcast internationally on FM, AM, shortwave and satellite and makes its news bulletins available as a Podcast. Radio in Kelssek is, however, predominatly made up of small private, independent stations.

Kelssek has three large English daily national newspapers - the National Independent, the Chronicle and Herald, and the National Telegraph; and one French national daily - Le Courrier Kelssek . Other major papers include the Kirkenes Courier, which has the nation's largest English circulation, the Neorvins Herald, the Mazinaw Journal, Le Etoile (based in Outineau), which has the largest circulation when French and English editions are combined, the Etnier Free Press (based in Clayquot), and the Burnaby Post.

Prominent newsmagazines include The Red Flag, published by the Trades Union Congress, which focuses on labour and civil rights issues, and the more general current affairs publication Global. The monthly Popular Geography focuses on science, photojournalism, and the environment. University student publications are also widely read in their local communities and a wide multiplicity of independent and underground publications exist. The most well-known of these is the satirical "newspaper" The Beaver-Toque.

More information from Kelssek Ministry of Communications

Holidays

Federal Holidays:

• 1 January - New Years' Day
• 2nd Monday in February - Civic Holiday
• Typically in March/April - Good Friday and Easter Monday
• 1 May - Labour Day
• 4th Monday in May - Victoria Day
• 1 July - Federation Day
• 1st Monday in August - Civic Holiday
• 18 September - Constitution Day
• 2nd Monday in October - Thanksgiving
• 11 November - Remembrance Day
• 24-26 December - Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day (Boxing Day is a civic holiday)

Provincial Holidays:

• 1 March - St. David's Day (Noua Cymru)
• 17 March - St. Patrick's Day (all except Noua Cymru, Lupinissa, Andonbar, Beaulac and Roites)
• 14 July - Bastille Day (Beaulac)
• 25 October - Revolution Day (Etnier)

The August civic holiday is known as Simcoe Day in Noua Cymru, Colonel By Day in Saint-Remy, Heritage Day in Conroy, Konoha Day in Konoha, Natal Day in Haligonia, and Discovery Day in Kewatin, Wakatipu and Andonbar.

The February civic holiday is known as Family Day in Conroy.

Government

Kelssek is a federation under a system of parliamentary democracy. The head of state is the President and the head of the government is the Prime Minister of Kelssek.

Federal Government

Kelssek's Parliament is biamercal, with 830 members forming the lower House of Commons and 190 members, 10 for each province and the Neorvins Federal Territory, forming the upper Congress of Lords. The Congress of Lords is able to veto legislation passed by the House and has the authority to investigate and hear legal cases involving government officials, but cannot debate or introduce legislation. The next general election must be held before September 1, 2008 and will be extremely significant in that it will mark the switch from a first-past-the-post system to a mixed-member proportional representation system.

Elections for both houses must be held at least once every four years. The leader of the party which has the most seats in the House of Commons generally becomes the Prime Minister and is the head of government. He then selects his cabinet from members of his own party or an allied party who hold a seat in either house of Parliament.

Kelssek's leader is Prime Minister Alan Kerk, who was elected in September 2004 as leader of the Green Party, which won the first majority government in 44 years after a voter backlash over an extradition dispute caused the Liberal Party to lose much support and caused almost a third of its members to defect to the Green Party in protest. Previously, the Liberals had formed the government in coalition with the Greens.

The President

Main article: President of Kelssek

Elections for the President are held once every five years using a two-round runoff system, no person can serve more than two terms consecutively and Presidents are disqualified from becoming President again for three years after leaving office. It is thus possible to have served an unlimited number of terms if they are served non-consecutively, but in practice this has never been done.

The President is the head of state and the commander-in-chief of the military, and can veto any legislation passed by Parliament. Traditionally the President has had a figurehead role, but since the 1970s they have become more active in politics.

The current President is Dominique Drapeau, who was sworn in as President on October 1, 2006. Drapeau is the 15th President and succeeded Joseph Sutter, who had served for the full ten years before him.

Provincial Government

Although the federal government is able to set national policy, by the Legislative Act provincial governments are able to control local health, education, and law enforcement issues, infrastructure, property, judiciary, and taxation, as well as "Generally all Matters of a merely local or private Nature in the Province."

Within each province, there are several provincial-level political parties. While many are affiliates of the main national parties, there are a great number of major parties independent of a federal-level party.

Provincial legislature elections are held according to their provincial election laws, and the leader of the party with the most seats becomes that province's Premier, and holds a function similar to that of the Prime Minister, but at the provincial level. In addition, the President appoints a Lieutenant-Governor who is the province's head of state and can veto any legislation passed by the legislature, though in practice the use of the veto is rare since it is invariably controversial.

Judiciary

The Supreme Court is the highest judicial body and has jurisdiction over any legal case within Kelssek's jurisdiction. The next highest is the Federal Court, then the Federal Court of Appeal. Each province also has its own judiciary system, and the systems extend from the provincial Supreme Court and Court of Appeal to municipal and county courts.

Politics

The major political parties are the Green Party, the Liberal Party, and the Conservative Party. The United Communist Party has also become a power in recent years. With an ongoing leftward shift in the political climate, the Green Party, which ran on social democracy in 2004, has bordered on becoming a socialist party in order to maintain its appeal with the electorate. Major issues include the management of social programs, economic development, an aging population, the environment, and the progress of a fossil fuel phaseout program which has run into delays due to costs.

Major federal political parties

• Green Party of Kelssek (governing party)
  

The Green Party governs in minority with 47% of seats in the House of Commons. Founded as a party championing environmental issues and sustainable development, it formed a coalition government with the Liberal Party between 1980 and 2004. As a condition for the Greens' support in 1988, Paul Ronning was made Prime Minister leading a Liberal cabinet. In 2004 as the Liberal Party was hammered by a scandal and by defections, Alan Kerk campaigned on social liberalism and social democracy and won the a majority government which was reduced to a minority by the split of the Democratic Progressive Party.

• Liberal Party of Kelssek (official opposition)
  

A centre-left party, the Liberal Party, known colloquially as the "Grits", have historically been the strongest party in Kelssek, with a socially and economically progressive agenda. The party also supports maintaining a market-based economy. The Liberal Party has been in power for 45 years since 1898, a longer period of time than any other party. They hold 16% of seats in the House of Commons.

• Conservative Party of Kelssek
  

The Conservative Party, known colloquially as the "Tories", is the furthest to the right of any major party and favours reduced government intervention, supporting a "long-term management" concept of capitalist governance. It has also called for Kelssek to exert greater influence on the international stage. They hold 15% of seats in the House of Commons.

• United Communist Party of Kelssek
  

Formed by the merger of the relatively weak Communist Kelssek Party and the Communist Party of the Etnier Socialist Republic in 2004, the UCP's support derives mainly from Etnier. The party's main current focus is in turning over the ownership of all large private enterprises to their employees, as well as encouraging such initiatives, while advocating a move to a non-capitalist economy in the long term. The party holds 7% of the seats in the House.

• Democratic Progressive Party
  

Formed by a split from the Green Party in 2007, the DPP's agenda is not clear but it has attacked the other parties as being "hypocritical and corrupt". The DPP holds 7% of the seats.

• Freedom and Justice Party
  

Adovcating individualist anarchism, the Freedom and Justice Party can be seen as either extreme-left or extreme-right depending on the interpretation of its agenda, which includes the abolition of private property but also of government economic intervention as well as the devolution of federal authority. The party holds 6% of the seats.

National Anthem

Kelssek's official national anthem is The Red And Blue, which was decided by popular referendum in 1902. The tune does not have any words, and originated from the Guedian Kingdom, during which it was used a royal fanfare. One of the major points in its favour is that having no words, it is thus universal and requires no translations, a plus with Kelssek's multi-lingual, multi-cultural society.

Kelssek's unofficial anthem is The Maple Leaf Forever (the tune is the same as the real song of the same name). Although it was designated as a National Song (along with The Internationale) in 2005, many still want it to be recognised as the national anthem, with The Red And Blue becoming the Presidential Anthem. It is often sung in addition to The Red And Blue at some events, and the song is instantly recognisable to most Kelssekians. A controversy erupted at the Second Winter Olympics when a member of Kelssek's Olympic support staff who favoured this change deliberately provided The Maple Leaf Forever instead of The Red And Blue to organisers, with the result that The Maple Leaf Forever was played at the first medal ceremony where a Kelssekian won a gold medal; the staff member was suspended and the correct anthem was played for Kelssek's other gold medal wins.

Official English version

Oh land of blue unending skies,

Mountains strong and sparkling snow,

A scent of freedom in the wind,

O'er the emerald fields below.

To thee we bring our hopes, our dreams,

For thee we stand together,

Our land of peace, where proudly flies,

The Maple Leaf forever.

Chorus

Long may it wave, and grace our own

Blue skies and stormy weather,

Within my heart, above my home,

The Maple Leaf Forever!

Second Chorus

From Kelssek and from all around,

The Maple Leaf forever!

Bright flag revered on every ground,

The Maple Leaf forever!

Official French version

Sur mers sauvages ou glaciers durs,

Tant d'héros se sont suivis,

En conquérant la peur, le froid,

Et les tempêtes de leurs vies.

Et tant de braves, rouges ou blancs,

Reposent ici ensemble,

De noble sang, de tant de neige,

Est née la feuille d'érable.

Refrain

De leurs exploits, de leurs travaux,

Et leur courage sublime,

Dans leurs vieux rêves réunis,

Puisons nouvelles racines.

Refrain Reprise

Sur nos montagnes, dans nos prairies,

À travers temps et sable,

Aimons toujours la fleur de lys,

Toujours, la feuille d'érable.

Other stanzas of traditional English version

(In the full version, only the first chorus is sung after the first stanza)

O Maple Leaf, around the world

You speak as you rise above

Of courage, hope and quiet strength

Symbol of the land we love

Now may those ties of love be ours

Which discord cannot sever,

And flourish green for freedom's home,

The Maple Leaf forever!

Chorus

Our people came from many shores,

And for Kelssek we shall strive

We sing in one united chorus,

And by this we'll lead our lives:

Protect the weak, defend your rights

And build this land together,

Above which shine the Northern Lights

And the Maple Leaf forever!

Second chorus

International profile

Kelssek is a member of the International Fair Trade Agreement and the United Nations.

Kelssek is active in regional politics and also serves in the East Pacific regional government and has previously served as a member of the East Pacific Magisteral Assembly and played a role in the East Pacific judiciary. The East Pacific Civil Aviation Organisation (EPCAO) is based in Outineau, and the organising body of the East Pacific Hockey Championship is based in Kirkenes.