Mendanau
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| Flag of Mendanau | |
| Motto: "Modesty is the citadel of beauty" | |
| Region | The Moonlit Islands |
|---|---|
| Capital | Kendall Bay |
| Official Language(s) | English |
| Leader | President Franklin R. Washington |
| Population | 8.297 billion |
| Currency | Moonlit Dollar |
| NS Sunset XML | |
THE GOVERNMENT
Mendanau is recognized as a Citizenship Republic, which is a government where authority is derived through election of public officials who the people feel are better suited to represent them in office. Attitude toward law is the administration of justice in accord with fixed principles and established evidence, with strict regard for consequences. A greater number of citizens and extent of territory may be brought within its compass. However, it avoids the dangerous extreme of either tyranny or mobocracy (a government where the lower classes of a nation control public affairs without respect to law, precedents or vested rights). This results in statesmanship, liberty, reason, justice, contentment and progress in all areas of arts, science, thought and civil liberties.
THE LANGUAGE
The official language is English. The written and spoken form is based on the Continental dialect that was used throughout the region in the past. English is a strong unifying factor in a country where at least 10 distinct languages are spoken.
ETHNICITY
The 85% of Mendanauan citizens are of native Norse descent. These are people who can trace their heritage as far back as the Era of King Thorvold. The remaining 15% of the population is made up of several ethnic groups who have migrated to Mendanau from all points around the Great Ocean and beyond over the course of hundreds of years.
RELIGION
20% of the population follows the religious tradition know as Asatru, meaning “loyalty or troth to the Gods.” The main focus of Asatru has been to recapture and reconstruct the ancient tribal religion of the Norse through the recordings of the lore and the sagas. Unfortunately, most sagas are not intact, and have been highly influenced by Christian philosophy, so the task of reconstruction is rather difficult. Asatru is one of the noblest religions, but its current infrastructure lends itself to some squabbling and infighting among the various sects concerning interpretations of the sagas, due in part to the unavailability of complete information. There is also a great disparity among the groups, ranging from those who believe that only those of the Nordic bloodline can practice Asatru, to more progressive branches that welcome all people. Asatru, however, is not about political agendas, but about in pledging one’s faith to the Gods and living one’s life in the most honorable manner. Asatru is also very much concerned with maintaining family and community; two major concerns of the Norse peoples. Roughly 60% of the population is Christian (Protestant) and 20% Buddhist. All three of these religions are recognized in Mendanau and have official national holidays commemorating events of importance to their followers.
GEOGRAPHY
Mendanau is a large island chain with a total landmass of 586,412 square miles and 33,904 miles of shoreline. The coast is made up of rugged headlands, vast sand dunes, river mouths, a few low-laying coastal plains and areas where the mountains rise sharply from the ocean to 4,000 feet. There are several coves and bays that dot these islands, most notably Kendall Bay on the easternmost island of Menoa. Nearly 65% of Mendanau’s land is forested and a significant portion is mountainous. The highest point is Mount Obdivaughn at 16,420 feet in the Shetland Alps of Aomori Isle.
CLIMATE Mendanau enjoys a temperate maritime climate, due mainly to its position in the Great Ocean and the presence of the Gulf Stream. Typical winter weather is clouds and rain with the occasional sunny spell. The Shetland Alps will have snow year round, but it rarely falls in lower elevations. Temperatures hover around a January average of 41 degrees Fahrenheit. Overnight temperatures often drop below freezing and ice and frost are common.
Typical summers in Mendanau have warm, sunny weather and a sky dotted with gentle fluffy clouds. Light rain occasionally occurs on days like these, but summer rain is usually restricted to a few wet days. In July and August, the conditions can become very humid and thunderstorms can occur with lightning. The average July temperatures in excess of 86 F are not uncommon.
Areas close to the coast rarely have a large difference between summer and winter conditions. With an average 50 degree difference between January and July, the weather is much more consistent than continental areas. This consistency is due to the moderating effect of the Great Ocean, which absorbs heat in summer and gives it out in winter.
The prevailing winds are from the southwest – the direction of the Gulf Stream, which brings temperate conditions, in the form of low-pressure depressions, to what would otherwise be a much colder latitude. Occasionally storms from the Polar Regions make landfall in Mendanau, characterized by icy winds, snow in the highlands and frost. When Mendanau receives wind from the southeast – not particularly common – there is cool, dry weather (winter) or hot, wet weather (summer).
