User:The Oan Isles/sandbox/Christie Island
Republic of Christie Island Folkenregung den Krystie Iynland (Christine) | |
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 Flag of Christie Island
 Coat of arms
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Motto: "Mother Ocean, I have heard your call" (Christine: "Muter Seh, Ih habe Yer Sund Hurded") | |
Anthem: My Home in the Sea Christine: Myne Hus in den Seh | |
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| Capital and largest city | Rilanon |
| Recognised national languages |
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| Ethnic groups |
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| Religion |
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| Demonym(s) | Christine |
| Government | Parliamentary republic |
• Chancellor | Irian Herdan |
| Legislature | National Assembly (Nasionale Folkenting) |
| Area | |
• Total | 11,692 km2 (4,514 sq mi) |
| Population | |
• Census | 2452810 |
• Density | 209.78/km2 (543.3/sq mi) |
| GDP (nominal) | estimate |
• Total | SH$153 billion |
• Per capita | SH$62,380 |
| Gini | 28.6 low |
| SDI (2023) | 0.941 very high |
| Currency | Christine dollar (CHD) |
| Time zone | UTC0 (Christine Standard Time) |
| Date format | DD/MM/YYYY |
| Driving side | left |
| Calling code | +27 |
| ISO 3166 code | CHR |
Christie Island, officially known as the Republic of Christie Island (Christine: Folkenregung den Krystie Iynland), an island nation located in the Halcyon Sea that lies to the west of South Hills and the south of Vistaraland. It has an area of less than 15,000 square kilometres, making it one of the smallest countries in the area with almost all of its territory consisting of the main island of the same name with smaller rocks and islets forming the rest giving rise to a substantial exclusive economic zone. Located north of Aequator, it is a tropical island nation characterised by hot weather, rain, clear seas, hilly topography, biodiversity, endemism, and dense forests, having been formed millions of years ago from the separation of its surrounding continents.
The country has been inhabited for over 2,000 years, with the earliest evidence being fossilised remains of elves dating to circa 0 BCE who are believed to have originated from West Yasteria. The island consisted of several tribes until it was unified by King Yurik I in the 600s. In the 900s, King Ludriyk II established the Folkenting to advise him on running the country. From the 1100s to 1200s, the country's population was ravaged by the Great Sickness, a pandemic from the mainland. The country transitioned to a feudal system at that time. Through a revolt of nobles in 1345, merchants in 1456, and peasant farmers in 1652, the country made a long transition to democracy. Following a pirate crisis that lasted years, the country overthrew the monarchy's last king, Henriyk V and established the republican form of government that exists till today in 1701.
Christie Island is a developed nation that is ruled by a liberal multi-party democracy and a free-market system that is characterized as one of the most free, transparent, and democratic in the world with low levels of corruption, poverty, and violent crime. With splendid natural environments, a central location, good infrastructure, and many historic landmarks, the country is a major tourist and transhipment hub. Having adopted a policy of neutrality, and maintaining good relations with many nations, it is the seat of several international organisations including the International Forum.
History
Mediaeval Era
In 994, King Ludriyk established the National Assembly (National Folkenting) also known simply as the Folkenting. The body consisted of nobles whom he appointed and its purpose was to advise him on the running of the country. The body met in the capital every so often as summoned by the king. He would make merchants, warriors and favoured courtiers and nobles so that they would be eligible to serve in this body. His successors retained the body and it became one of the institutions at the centre of the country's government for the next one thousand years.
For the next century, the country also ended its long period of isolation from the outside world and began to send adventurers and voyagers to seek out new lands. This appetite for discovery was buoyed by the thriving population due to the abundance of food following good weather and a spectacular period of good sustained harvests that saw the population rise significantly compared to preceding periods. Peasant farmers worked on lands they owned but paid taxes to a noble for protection from gangsters and pirates.
Great Sickness
The Great Sickness (de Grusst Krankyniss) was a sustained period in the 1100s to the 1200s where most of the population perished after rats infected by lice-carrying diseases from the mainland which the inhabitants were not immune to were brought to the islands following voyages to Yasteria and Concord. The people had spent several centuries living in complete isolation up until that point so they lost immunity to mainland diseases and lacked the antibodies to combat infection.
Over the next two centuries, the people tried various techniques which were to little avail to curb the proliferation of disease such as using smoke and herbs to relieve the stench caused by the open sores and puss-filled welts that the disease would bring. This period led to the entrenchment of various superstitions that still pervade the modern era. This period also saw the rise of the feudal system which was imported from the mainland as it was determined by the nobles and monarchy to effectively control a population angry and prone to riots due to the exceptionally brutal bout of disease. Luckily the people gradually gained immunity which those who survived passed on to their children, enabling the population to recover.
Nobles' Revolution
In the mid-1300s, the nobility accumulated wealth, power and social prestige that made them feel that they should be equal to the King. Through their representation in the Folkenting, they began to entreat the king to give them more power over the political affairs of the nation and to extend certain rights to them. The king was initially positive but over time he became gradually more suspicious. Lord Imud of Yodinsbury had a very public dispute with King Henriyk II over the fishing of his men in rivers that ran through the king's lands.
The dispute saw many nobles side with Lord Yodinsbury but instead, the king ordered his men to arrest him. The nobles were angered by this and led a revolt, sacking the King's castle at Rykssteyn and releasing Lord Yodinsbury from his imprisonment. King Henryk II fled to Hariodmur from which he ordered his army to retake Rykssteyn. The spectacular failure to retake the castle led to the King's defeat and his admission of defeat. Rather than depose him, the nobles under Lord Yodinsbury agreed to a truce with King Henryk II that gave them rights including participation in the government that would be gradually extended to the rest of the population over many centuries.
Merchants' Revolution
With time, the country's economic system became more sophisticated and gave rise to the formation of a class of people who became wealthy in gold and ships that they owned through enabling trade with the outside world but did not own land and thus were not entitled to nobility. As such, they lacked the rights that nobles did. Furthermore, as land became more scarce due to the small size of the islands, few new noble titles were created by the King.
The merchants began to feel that they too should have a say in how the country is governed. When the Folkenting voted to raise the fees for ships moored at Christine ports in the mid-1400s to raise money from the merchants for the nobles, the merchants protested but were ignored and actively targeted by the nobility. The merchants, in their various guilds, began agitating for the use of violent action to force the nobles to give them rights. The Oylriyters Guild was among the most prominent. Under the leadership of soldier cum merchant, Yurik of Kanverniss, the merchants had riots outside King Ryonard's palace at Yulmerbury.
King Ryonard acquiesced to some of the terms and signed a decree to give the merchants more rights and overturned the port fees raised. Because nobles controlled the mooring sites for these large vessels, they refused to cooperate. The merchants fought against the nobles' armies in pitched battles until the Folkenting decided to hold an emergency meeting to urge the nobles to concede. The nobles agreed to let merchants be members of the Folkenting (if they paid for their seats) and granted them various rights.
White Revolution
In the early to mid-1600s, the country's merchant ships were often attacked by pirates, making it difficult for Christine cash crops to reach foreign markets and significantly impacting the country's foreign income. Many smaller farmers who were not rich enough to have official representation in the government were disgruntled with the government's handling of the crisis and blamed the issue on the oligarchic political system.
The anger of the peasant farmers exploded when the pirate Nogutswindler's ship, the Barrybunkle besieged the port of Rilanon and ordered the government to pay a ransom of 1 million gylden. The government raised emergency taxes that disproportionately targeted the peasant farmers. Armed tax collectors forcibly expropriated the farmers' incomes from their homes and banks handed over the farmers' deposits. The Barrybunkle left the port, but in its wake were riots of farmers who set fire to buildings and the remaining merchants in the capital city. Despite attempts by the military to suppress the riots, the farmers managed to infiltrate and control the Kyrdin Hall and held the Speaker of the Folkenting along with half of its members hostage.
The King, at the time Henryk IV facilitated negotiations that resulted in the Folkenting passing a law that gave all tax-paying males representation in the Folkenting. This situation indirectly weakened the monarchy, which the nobles increasingly saw as impotent and unable to significantly and meaningfully defend their interests both from foreign aggressors like the pirates and domestic insurgency such as the farmers' revolt which was known as the White Revolution because of the farmers wearing grey clay on their faces to protect them from the heat of the sun.
Pirate Crisis
The Barrybunkle siege of the Port of Rilanon, was a spectacular geopolitical disaster for the Kingdom and a huge embarrassment to the King personally. He subsequently abdicated some years later in favour of his son Henryk V. Marauders and the like especially those operating from the mainland of Concord and West Yasteria, saw the glaring weaknesses in Christie Island's defences and seaked to exploit it. To respond to this emergency, the Folkenting passed laws to get protection from mercenaries until they could build up their navy to protect their merchant ships and ports from pirates.
The pirate gang Truyblers had three large warships which they commandeered from another navy. They attacked the island in the late 17th century, the mercenaries scattering as they were pummeled by the Truyblers. They demanded that the king and the Folkenting cede power to them. The Folkenting voted to bear the siege of their port. For months, the Truyblers prevented the big sea-going merchant ships from going out. The wealth of the merchants was significantly damaged, but with the Folkenting dominated by the peasant farmers, the Folkenting instead supported the peasants significantly weakening the power and influence of the wealthy merchants and nobles.
The Truyblers maintained their siege but news of it spread to another gang known as the Dusty Buccaneers. The Dusty Buccaneers offered to split the island with the Truyblers (who lacked the manpower or armour for a full land invasion), but the Truyblers refused. The Dusty Buccaneers decided to attack the Truyblers which caused the siege to weaken as the two were unable to come to an agreement or defeat the other of arms. Tybolt Nosedean escaped the island with a small ship to the Elishan Empire with a request for military aid in return for the island being its protectorate and permission to garrison its forces there.
At the time, the strategic prospects of Christie Island's location proved too lucrative and the Elishans agreed to support them. Naval vessels arrived and broke the siege and Christie Island was under the formal protection of the Elishan Empire and by extension the Concordian Confederation. This practically eliminated the piracy crisis but created a situation in which the country's foreign policy was influenced by a faraway Concordian nation.
Republicanisation
A body of Folkenting members called the Folkeners (mistranslated to the Republicans) led by Jyrom Stermunger, a general of the army, ordered his forces to seize the royal palace of Rykssteyn. Major roads were seized by the Republicans and citizens were ordered to remain in their homes. King Henriyk V was held hostage and ordered by the coup plotters to sign an act of abdication. The King refused to sign despite threats by the coup plotters of torture. Stermunger's right-hand man and political prodigy Umbert Borynkle called an emergency session of the Folkenting to demand that it abolish the monarchy.
With the speed of the coup advancing so quickly and the Loyalist forces lacking the coordination and manpower to meaningfully challenge the coup plotters, the army as led by Gybriel Runden sat back and did nothing. Thus, the Folkenting passed a law called the Parliamentary Supremacy Act (Grusstenniss den Folkenting Reyl). This abolished the monarchy and gave the Folkenting all the powers of the Crown, transforming the country into a Republic. The Folkenting elected Jyrom Stermunger as the first Chancellor to run the government in place of the King. King Henriyk V was exiled and because he lacked powerful foreign allies, he was never restored to his throne. This led to a long period of reforms, namely that the Folkenting would be elected, secondly that there would be universal rights for all men to vote and stand for election to the Folkenting. To support this democratic transition, the rights of citizens to protest, assemble, associate, and express themselves freely were passed into law.
Jyrom Stermunger lost favour with his colleagues due to him one-upping them in trade relations and commercial ventures with the Elishans and was subsequently removed by the Folkenting. Umbert Was elected as the new Chancellor in his place and he continued many of the same policies. For the next one hundred years, the country functioned as a republic with some influence from the Concordian nations. In the late 19th century, the country passed laws that gave women many of the same rights as men including participating in political matters following strikes by women against the sordid working conditions of the plantations and competition for employment with indentured labourers from overseas.
Great War
For most of its history, Christie Island was largely ignored by foreign powers, leaving its domestic politics mostly independent from foreign domination and its population relatively disconnected from regular exchanges with the outside world. This allowed it to act as a trustworthy and reliable neutral broker of international agreements between major powers and the perception that it was a peaceful and non-threatening nation. The Folkenting continued to affirm this stance through regularly passing resolutions and sending communiques to foreign ambassadors committing to neutrality.
Nevertheless, the country's strategic value became apparent to foreign powers especially the Imperial Powers with Vistaraland seeing the nation as a potential point from which an attack to its south could be launched or the imposition of an embargo on its trade through the Halcyon Sea. Vistaraland subsequently ordered its ambassador to command the island to surrender to Vistari rule and permit Vistari ships and forces to reside there. The Folkenting was deeply concerned about a military attack and the loss of the country's independence. Chancellor Fyoder Tabriet attempted to negotiate with the Vistari's, promising instead to refuse entreaties from other powers. At the time South Hills had not entered the war, and Vistaraland wanted to keep them out. Thus, they agreed to leave the country independent unless they felt they could be occupied by South Hills.
Geography
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Christie Island lies at the centre of the Halcyon Sea hundreds of kilometres from the nearest landmass. Thus it shares no maritime boundaries with another nation. The main island is very small in terms of land area but because it administers various shoals, atolls, islets and rocks, it has a very large exclusive economic zone. The country is located between the Tropic of Markara and the Aequator, and it lies at the cross-section of currents bringing warm water from the south, giving the country a warm and humid climate characterised by rain throughout the year. It rarely hails and it has never snowed since modern records began.
The country has a fairly low-lying topography with hills in the south. The island is fairly old in terms of the geographic timescale because it was formed when Western Yasteria, Concord and Northern Arcturia separated hundreds of millions of years ago. This resulted in the erosion of the surface over many years, which has led to the island being low-lying. As a result of its small size and low average elevation, the island lacks any true mountains. It has an abundance of small lakes that formed from the accumulation of rainwater in small lakes. As the ground erodes (which is dominated by a porous rock called dolomite) and collapses forming sinkholes, the rain forms semi-underground lakes that are visually stunning and have been a reliable source of fresh water.
The island's primary terrestrial biome is tropical rainforest. This means that the country is covered mostly by a dense system of thick vegetation. The dense coverage of tree canopies forms an environment in which various rare plants and animals have managed to thrive. Many of the animals found here are unique. For example, the largest predator is a mammal distantly related to a mongoose known as the Fossa which is also the national animal. A medium-sized tree-dwelling mammal known for its slow movement called the sloth dwells in the canopies and is among the largest herbivores. The world's largest rodents, capybara are semi-aquatic and inhabit the many rivers and lakes of the country.
The country is home to an abundance of birds. The island often serves as a pitstop in the migration patterns of birds that move to warmer climates throughout the year. This gives rides to periods where the island has an abundance of birds. However, most of the birds which nest and reproduce on the islands are not migratory such as parrots, parakeets, cockatiels, and various colourful and unique birds of paradise. The island is also home to a lot of venomous snake species such as various vipers and mambas. Alongside snakes, there also exist tortoises, with the islands being home to species that live for over a hundred years.
Government
The National Assembly (Nasional Folkenting) is the unicameral legislative branch of the country. It was established over a thousand years ago around 994 and is one of the oldest continuously functioning legislative bodies in the world. It was formed by King Ludriyk III and was appointed by him, consisting of landowning nobles. In 1345, after the Nobles’ Revolution (Burgerstreyf den Noblen), the body forced the King to begin the slow process of ceding law-making powers to the body. This included granting all nobles seats in the body. After the Merchants’ Revolution (Burgerstreyf den Merkanten) of 1456, any man could purchase seats in the body. This was followed by the White Revolution (Wyss Burgerenstreyf) in 1652 which allowed any man who paid tax and owned land was allowed to sit in the body.
In 1700, the last King, Henriyk V was deposed by the Republican forces, which resulted in the National Assembly being granted parliamentary sovereignty with the passing of the Grusstenniss den Folkenting Reyl (Parliamentary Supremacy Act). This means that it can pass any law by majority and its laws cannot be struck down by any court in the land. In 1721, the body determined that there were too many people in the body and decided to have it elected by the tax-paying male population. In 1728, the National Assembly abolished all noble titles. All men were allowed to vote for representatives to the body, through the Allgemeyne Erkyusung Reyl (General Voting Act) in 1856. In 1935, through the passage of the Selbsame Erkyusung Reyl (Equal Voting Act), women were given the same voting rights as men.
The National Assembly may not pass laws that future sittings cannot undo, so there is no written constitution. Instead, the foundational principles of the political system stretch back millennia and comprise an unwritten constitution consisting of statute and convention. The members of the National Assembly are elected by the people every five years through a first-past-the-post system whereby the country is divided into single-seat constituencies of roughly equal size in which the candidate who wins the most votes, gets the seat for the party. This has resulted in a political system whereby a few large parties have historically dominated the political system. Currently, the National Assembly consists of three political parties, the National People’s Party (Nasional Folkenpartiy or den Folkeren) which is the ruling party with 41 seats, the Social Democratic Party (Sosialisme Folkenmakt Partiy) which is the official opposition with 23 seats and the Green Movement (Griyne Forengung) with 8 seats.
The head of state, head of government and commander in chief of the armed forces is the Chancellor (known in Christine as Kanslur). The holder of this office is elected every five years by the members of the National Assembly. A holder of this office may only hold a maximum of two terms. In 2021, the current Chancellor, Irian Heldur was elected. The Chancellor has the power to appoint the Cabinet (Kabinen) which consists of Ministers (Ministeren) who run executive departments. Together, they form the executive branch, enforcing legislation and administering the government. Irian Heldur is the President (Prasiden) of the largest party in the National Assembly, the National People’s Party (Nasional Folkenpartiy).
The country's legal system takes place in the context of Christine common law. This consists of the precedents and conventions that have arisen over the centuries of Christine legal history through the courts which have the power to interpret the law. However, no court has the power to strike down any law passed by the National Assembly even the High Court (Hiyh Erriyter). Judges are appointed by the executive branch with the approval of the National Assembly.
Economy
Christie Island is a developed country with an economic model that takes place in a free-market system. Nevertheless, the country levies high taxes on its citizens to pay for social welfare schemes such as free and universal public healthcare, education, pensions, and support for the distressed and unemployed. The biggest part of the economy consists of services such as tourism, shipping, and finance, followed by light manufacturing, agriculture, and fishing.
Christie Island has a warm and sunny climate, beautiful nature, a population that speaks Codexian and a central location in the Halcyon Sea. As such, it has attracted millions of foreign tourists who enjoy the outdoor activities and festivals that the country offers. Furthermore, the country is the hub of many international organisations. Thus, it receives many diplomats and foreign businesspeople. Christie Island’s central location and proximity, to major markets have made it a hub for international air travel, making the Chancellor Rynard Lestung International Airport one of the busiest in the region. The country also has a deep natural harbour at the Port of Rilanon that was expanded through dredging and land reclamation, making the country a hub for transhipment.
Christie Island’s geography and climate have facilitated the emergence of cash crops such as palm oil, sugar, cocoa beans, and other tropical fruits. Although the role of agriculture in the economy has shrunk significantly, agriculture and the export of foodstuffs continue to play a significant role in the economy. Although warm waters are normally not as abundant in fish as cold climates, Christie Island has a surprisingly productive fishing sector, enabling the export of high-value fish products.
Christie Island has very low levels of unemployment, poverty, and corruption. The country uses the Christine dollar which is issued by the Christine Monetary Authority and is pegged in value to the South Hills dollar, making the two virtually interchangeable. The country’s economy has been slow-growing for the past 20 years, growing 20% over that period. Furthermore, the country has an ageing and stagnant population which has placed pressure on pension schemes and raised government spending. The country has tried to offset these effects through an open-door immigration policy that has resulted in a large population of expatriates. Furthermore, the country has a high cost of living and is among the most expensive countries to live in the world.
Demographics, education and healthcare
The country has a population of over 2.3 million inhabitants. Most of the population lives in urban areas, the largest of which is Rilanon which dwarfs all other settlements in the country. The population has a life expectancy of 86 years and an average age of 45 years with the retirement age being around 70. A sizeable portion of the population is over 65 and the country has a sub-replacement birth rate. As a result, the country has implemented liberal immigration policies to compensate for the decline in its native population and the related labour shortages with temporary work permits for immigrants. Nevertheless, getting citizenship is challenging and most immigrants leave the country after a few years. Over 30% of the population originates from overseas, making the country highly cosmopolitan, originating largely from surrounding nations. This has also significantly skewed the gender balance with most of the foreign population being male. Immigrants from poor nations such as Nystatiszna tend to work in domestic work, farming and construction while immigrants from South Hills and Vistaraland tend to work in business, diplomacy, and knowledge industries.
Most of the population speak a dialect of the Christine language which is related to the languages of Far West Yasteria and Concord. Standard Christine is based on the Rilanon dialect and is the national language of Christie. Due to the large presence of foreigners and the influence of Codexian in international trade, diplomacy, and science, Codexian is widely spoken in the country and is the most used second language.
The most widely practised religion in the country is Ademarism. The religion was introduced centuries ago and supplanted the animist and polytheistic folk religions in the medieval era. The variation of Ademarism that is practised here is influenced by Far West Yasterian Ademarism. Although most of the citizens are members of the Ademarist Church of Christie Island and it received financial support from the government, most people do not profess belief in the God-on-Urth nor do they attend weekly services. The native people of Christie Island are elves who tend to have darker skin that has adapted to the hot weather. Years of migration have resulted in the introduction of a large population of humans and nekomimi.
The country has a high rate of literacy. Almost all children of age ten and above can read for meaning. Children attend kindergarten before going to primary school at the age of 6 until they are 12 years old where they switch to high school until they are 20 years old for a total of 14 years of education. The education system tries to provide a mix of practical and theoretical subjects but emphasises specialist subjects in the last years. People can choose to go into tertiary education where they can study at any of the universities in the country for free, of which the most prominent include the Griynbury University, the Thorsten University of Technology and the University of Iylasar.
All people in the country have access to potable water, indoor taps, flush toilets and regular refuse removal. The country has eradicated many diseases such as cholera, typhoid, yellow fever, diphtheria, malaria, and other tropical diseases. The country has a universal and mandatory child vaccination policy funded by the state. Furthermore, all working residents make compulsory contributions into the Universal Health Insurance (Allgemeyne Guteliebeniss Besekurung) and enjoy access to free health services from the National Health Services (Nasionale Guteliebeniss Surviys). To avoid long wait times and gain access to non-essential medical procedures, wealthier patients opt for private health care insurance.
Culture
Cuisine
Christie Island is a tropical island that has the perfect climate for trees and vegetables that grow in hot and wet weather. Fruit is widely consumed raw as a snack or dessert, or is processed through boiling, frying and grilling and integrating it into other dishes. Fruit can also be eaten in savoury dishes as well. Because of the weather, food is also more likely to go off, thus many of the dishes are based on techniques that help to preserve food such as smoking or pickling. Additionally, most of the food is characterised by spices due to their abundance and perceived benefits in preserving food. Some signature dishes include stumby which is a firm porridge made from cassava that forms the main starch in most dishes. Some favoured sides include curry shrimp, grilled saltfish, fried plantain or broths such as jibble soup made from tropical greens, spices and animal stock.
Music
The folk music of Christie Island is characterised by the use of percussion instruments such as jumble drum, shakers, xylophone and steel drum. These styles of music have evolved and mixed with music from other regions, giving rise to genres such as samble, and rigay. With the use of modern production technology, electronic Halcyonic dance music has emerged such as dancehall and ballroom. Some famous musicians from the country include Alida Imurdan and Ludo Marden.
Sport
The most famous sports in Christie Island are the foreign-origin sports of table tennis and soccer (association football). The national football team is marketed as the Fossa (named after the national animal of the country), however, the country has not hosted a major international sporting tournament and it rarely qualifies for international events. The Christie Premier League (de Krystishe Furstelige). Some famous teams include the Kalebury Kestrels F.C., the Edelton Ospreys F.C., and the Untermer Pilots F.C. The country's largest sporting stadium is the Billian Bank Stadium in Rilanon.