Crew of the Starfire

The United Kingom of Wessex and Cornwall, commonly, Wessex and Cornwall, rarely referred to as the United Kingdom to ease confusion, or wrongly referred to simply as Wessex, is a sovereign state located in the British Isles in Western Europe. Wessex and Cornwall covers the entirety of the South West Peninsula and the West Country, in adherence to the ancient Anglo-Saxon Kingdom of Wessex. Wessex shares a land border with the Great British Confederation to the east, and a maritime border with France across the English Channel. The country has a population of over 8 Million people as of 2013, and is a relatively large power.

The United Kingdom of Wessex and Cornwall is Parliamentary Republic with a direct democratic system and a ceremonial constitutional monarchy, formed in 1985, following the Acts of Devolution which gave home rule to the two countries of Wessex and Cornwall, the country was originally formed in 1973 following the declaration of the Great British Confederation, the region which was then known as South West Englandannounced seccession from Great Britain on the 15th April 1972, following a meeting with anti-confederal, anti-unionist groups and liberatarian groups. Today, Wessex and Cornwall is one of the wealthiest nations in Europe, with the Wessen Pound being one of the 10 highest traded currencies in the world.

Wessex and Cornwall had not accepted it's invitation to the European Union due to the Union's policies, which many believe would not allow Wessex and Cornwall the full autonomy it wants, and many have accused the country of Eurosceptcisim. However Wessex is a member of the United Nations and the Non-Alignment Movement.

Wessex  and Cornwall is a welfare state, providing education and higher education, healthcare, housing benefit for those who cannot afford it and pensions for those retired.This has added to Wessex's socialist tendencies.

Wessex and Cornwall consists of two countries, Wessex and Cornwall, each with varying devolved powers based in their capital cities of Bristol and Truro respectively. Each country is divded into several counties of which each have a local government council. Wessex and Cornwall has it's capital in the city of Bath, while the largest city is Bristol. Wessex and Cornwall also has two Overseas Territories, the Falkland Islands and the Wessex and Cornwall Antarctic Territory, and one Crown Dependency, the Isle of Wight.

Formation of the Great British Confederation History
In 1972, the Invasion of Northern Ireland led by Irish General, David O'Hughs, ended with the Treaty of Swansea, signed between the then United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland, and allowed UK occupation of Ireland. However sporadic fighting continued, until the last cell of resistance was destroyed on the 27th March 1972. The United Kingdom focused on re-integrating Ireland into the country, however resistance and anti-unionist groups, in both Ireland and on the Ireland of Great Britain greatly opposed this action, also calling for the disbandment of the United Kingdom.

On April 14th, 1972, Queen Elizabeth II called for a meeting of representatives from all British countries, including Ireland, at Westminster Palace. At the meeting, publicly chosen representatives of Scotland, England, Wales, and Ireland met over the state of the United Kingdom as a single entity. Irish and Scottish representatives called for disbandment, whilst the Welsh and English delegates called for a resolution of the governing system of the United Kingdom. By the end of the debates, the representatives had met a resolution to become a confederation of semi independent nations under a single military, law and foreign affairs system. The Parliament approved the resolution as  the last Act of National Parliament, and the national monarch, Queen Elizabeth II gave Royal Assent the same day.

Kingdom of Wessex
Riots in Filton, 1972.Added by Falloutfan08At this time, several anti-unionist groups had met in Somerton, Somerset, what was then part of South West England. The meeting involved anti-unionist groups, republican groups and liberal groups. The meetings entailed the indpendence of the south-west of England as an independent entity, that would be known as Wessex, following the boundaries of the ancient Anglo-Saxon Kingdom of Wessex. The proposal originally called for Wessex to become a separate nation, within the Confederation that would appeal for increased autonomy, however as more information was revealed from the talks in Westminster, the proposal became less and less likely.

The meetings came to a resolution on the 15th April 1972, with the proposal for Wessex to become a fully independent nation outside of the Confederation. This proposal was addressed to the Parliament of the then United Kingdom on the same day. The proposal was met with some rebuttle, particularly by radical-unionist groups, who carried out a series of riots and unrest across South West England, which became known as the Bristol Riots, which subsequently spread to other population centres in the South West, including Plymouth, Southampton, and Bournemouth.

The United Nations, that had already been operating in Great Britain, secured the border between the newly created Kingdom of Wessex and Great British Confederation, aswell as assisting the authorities to quelle the riots across the country.

Acts of Devolution
In March 1985, Cornish civic nationalist party, Mebyon Kernow, sent a petition to the Wessen government argueing for levels of devolution to be awarded to Cornwall, giving it subnational home rule. This was debated by the government and in April of the same year, a Parliament Act was proposed to restructure Wessex's government, into that similar to the former United Kingdom. A unitary state, consisting of two countries with devolved home rule. This Act would declare Wessex and Cornwall two countries with varying powers devolved by the government.

Modern Times
Wessex and Cornwall has gone on to become a radical liberal nation in the eyes of some, criticising such as nations as the United States for it's treating the world as it's playground during the First Gulf War in 1990, and asking them to vacate their Air Force from Wessen and Cornish soil at WSDF Fairford, Gloucestershire. This has caused strained relations and upset in the United Sttes. Wessex and Cornwall has also been branded, the small nation, with big ideasfollowing its Pacifistic declaration in 1993, and Gross National Happiness support, and several referendums for a greener society, and indeed across the world.

In 1992, Prime Minister David Arnold made a contraversial speech at the United Nations, criticising global nations, 'the Earth, and indeed the human race is in need of protection, which large nations, such as the former United States and China need to understand before they destroy everything'. This speech has become a historic UN speech, in an attempt to make the world understand that it is on an economic and environmental suicide path'

In 1992 the Great British Confederation gave the Whitemoore Declaration at the United Nations, which ended Great Britain's membership in NATO and the European Economic Area, this declaration also gave the Falkland Islands separate sovereignity to the nation, which caused economic problems on the islands, aswell as the Argentine threat. This led to the political union, and the Falkland Islands later became united under the Wessen and Cornish Crown and was granted Overseas governance, which entitled the Falkland Islands to a high degree of self-governance, while Wessex takes care of Defence and Foreign Affairs for the islands.

Politics
See Main: Government of Wessex

Monarchy
The Head of State of Wessex is current the Queen, Anna II, inheriting the position in 1980. The Monarchy is purely a ceremonial and cultural office and has no governing power over Wessex, serving as the representation of the Wessen people across the world. The main duties of the monarch of Wessex is, officially inaugruating the Prime Minister, being the honorary commander-in-chief of the Self Defence Forces, Hosting foreign dignitaries, appointing honors and awards, such as knighthoods and other honorific prefixes.

Direct Democracy
Parliament House of Wessex in BathAdded by Falloutfan08Wessex has a form of Direct Democracy, where citizens of the nation have the right to submit a constitutional initiative and a referendum, which can overturn parliamentary decisions. Due to the small size of Wessex the current direct democratic system has been praised due to it's efficiency.

By calling a referendum to Parliament, a citizen, or a group of citizens can challenge a law or policy that had been debated or passed by parliament. A group of citizens must gather atleast 1,000 signatures againt or for a policy or law within 100 days and they may submit this referendum, and a national vote will be held, and a simple majority will decide whether to accept or decline the referendum.

Similarly, a citizen or group of citizens may submit a civil constitutional initiative, allows citizens to put a national amendment to a national vote, if they can gain 10,000 signatures, to the proposed amendment within 1 year. Parliament may counter or aid in this voting process.

County Meetings are held, often monthly, which is where people from the county may bring up their problems that they may have, and often involve voting and signing of petitions.

Law and Justice
The law of Wessex and Cornwall is predominantly based on that of the former English Law System within the former United Kingdom, which in turn is based upon Common Law Principles. The essence of common law is that, subject to statute, the law is developed by judges in courts, applying statute, precedent and common sense to the facts before them to give explanatory judgements of the relevant legal principles, which are reported and binding in future similar cases. However Wessex's Common Law system has three possible verdicts, Guilty, Not Guilty and ''Not Proven. Both Not Proven, and Not Guilty, ''result in aquittal.

The Courts of Wessex, consist of the High Court of Appeal, for criminal cases, and the Crown Courts of Wessex and Cornwall. Each County has a County Court, lead by the County High Sheriff. the Ministry of Justice oversees law and justice in Wessex as a whole, however the Prison System and Police Forces are overseen by the Home Office. Crime in Wessex and Corwall has decreased in recent years, however a stark increase occurred between 1985 and 1990. Wessex Prison Service, which reports to the Home Office, manages the prisons in Wessex.

The official age at which Wessen and Cornish citizens can learn to drive is 17 and the drinking and smoking age is 16, while the age of consent is 16. Gay Marriage has been legal in Wessex and Cornwall since 1979, and LGBT rights are strictly enforced, as with anti-racism campaigns. Racism is an arrest able offence. and Wessex and Cornwall has a zero tolerance stance on Firearms. Absolutely No firearms are allowed to be possessed by any citizen for any purpose. Recreational use of Marijuana is allowed by law in Wessex and Cornwall, however growers and sellers must gain a permit to operate.

Capital punishments are strictly prohibited in Wessex and Cornwall, and Community Service, House Arrest and Imprisonment are the only state sanctioned punishments availabe. Most Prisons in the Wessex function as rehabilitation clinics, allowing inmates to learn new skills to be able to function without Crime once they are released, however more serious crimes are treated with a more severe imprsonment, particularly inmates at Dartmoor Prison, which is the most remote prison in Wessex.

Foreign Relations
See Main: Foreign Relations of Wessex and Cornwall

Wessex and Cornwall is a full member of the United Nations after joining in 1974, aswell as being a member of the Commonwealth of Nations, Non-Alignment Movement, Inter-Parliamentary Union, aswell as the International Criminal Courts.

Wessex and Cornwall has criticised many governments over its existence, namely the United States, due to it's invasive foreign policy, even neighbouring Great Britain over it's military base in Gwithian, Cornwall. However Wessex and Great Britain retain a common travel union, known as the Confederation-Wessex Travel Union which was created in 1973.

Administrative Divisions
See Main: Administrative Divisions of Wessex

Economy
Wessex and Conrwall has a free market economy, with its official currency the Wessen Pound, which in recent years has been faring well against the British Pound and the Euro. Wessex and Cornwall refused to become part of the European Union and part of the Eurozone following it's invitation in 1980. The highest percentage of Wessex and Cornwall's GDP is the Service Industry, accounting for over 69%, followed by the Production industry with 28% and 2% agriculture. Wessex and Cornwall currently ranks 8th in GDP nominal, and 5th on GDP nominal per capita scale in 2013. Wessex's economy is one of the largest 8 economies in the world, and is a member of the G8 and the G20.

The Wessen and Cornish government feels that the happiness of it's people is more important than that of finance, and has implemented as system of Gross National Happiness similar to that introduced in Bhutan.

Corporations in Wessex and Cornwall are monitored very closely, as of the Corporate Regulation Act of 2001, passed by direct democracy. Destroyer Pricing systems are strictly prohibited, and businesses and corporations are fined if they are caught.

Corn Street in Bristol is the nation's financial centre, and is known for its history in banking. Both the Central Bank of Wessex and Cornwall and the Bristol Stock Exchange are located on the street.

Despite Wessex and Cornwall's small size it maintains a host of global companies, such as the Bristol Corporation, C&J Clark Shoes which is headqaurtered in Street, Somerset, Westland Helicopters which is headquartered in Yeovil, Somerset, aswell as Greystone Industries which is headquartered in Abbey Wood, Bristol.

Geography
Wessex and Cornwall occupies the Peninsula of the South West of the Isle of Great Britain, separated from the Great British Confederation by a land border and the Bristol Channel across from Wales. The nation has a long coastline, most of which is under protection due to it's archaeological importance, with the Jurassic Coast in Dorset being a major source of Prehistoric fossils.

The east of the region is characterised by wide, flat clay vales and chalk and limestone downland. The vales, with good irrigation, are home to the region's dairy agriculture. Somerset Levels was created by reclaiming wetlands, located only 6 feet above sea level, the levels formerly separated Glastonbury from mainland Great Britain in the 7th Millenium BC. The Southern British Chalk Formation extends into Wessex, creating a series of high, sparsely populated and archaeologically rich downs, most famously Salisbury Plain, but also Cranborne Chase, the Dorset Downs and the Purbeck Hills, aswell as lowlands such as the Mendip Hills. These downs are the principal area of arable agriculture in Wessex and Cornwall.

Climate
Wessex and Cornwall has an Oceanic classified climate, and experiences cool winters with warmer summers and relatively high levels of precipitation all year round. Annual rainfall is approximately from 1,000 millimetres to 2,000 millimetres.

Inland areas of low altitude experience the least amount of precipitation. They experience the highest summer maximum temperatures, but winter minimum are colder than the coast. Snowfalls are more frequent in comparison to the coast, but less so in comparison to higher ground. Areas of moorland inland such as: Bodmin Moor, Dartmoor and Exmoor experience lower temperatures and more precipitation than the rest of Wessex and Cornwall. In comparison to inland areas, the coast experiences high minimum temperatures, especially in winter, and it has slightly lower maximum temperatures in the summer. Rainfall is the lowest at the coast and snowfall is rarer than the rest of the region. Coastal areas are the windiest parts of Wessex and Cornwall, and they receive the most sunshine.

Flora and Fauna
Animal and Planet diversity is modest, considering Wessex and Cornwall's small area, and the island of Great Britain's small area. Rodents make up 40% of the Island of Great Britain's wild mammal species. These include, Squirrels, Mice, Voles, Badgers and Rats. Wessex and Cornwall also has an abundance of rabbits, hares, hedgehogs, moles, and several species of Bat. Carniverous mammals include the Badger, Fox, Otter, Weasel and Stoat. Several species of Whale, Dolphin, and Seal are found around the Wessen and Cornish coastline, of which Bottlenose Dolphins are the most common. The largest land-based wild animals in Wessex and Cornwall are currently Deer. The deer population is mostly made up of Red Deer, Roe Deer, and Fallow Deer. The deer has been named Wessex and Cornwall's 'favourite animal' due to it's commoness.

The largest biodiversity sector is Birdlife, with over 500 common species in Wessex and the British Isles. The most prominent of these are Pigeons, Sea Gulls, Sparrows, Ducks, Pheasants, and many numerous species of Gull, Owl, and Finches, aswell as the most common bird of prey in Wessex and Cornwall, the Buzzard. Less numerous species are that of Grouse, Eagle and Doves.

EducationEdit
See Main: Education in Wessex and Cornwall

Education in Wessex and Cornwall is provided by the state, and is the responsibility of the Ministry of Education. Most schools in Wessex and Cornwall have gained Academy status, meaning they hve more power to make independent decisions whilst still funded by the taxpayers, aswell as grants from the government, and some of the best schools in the country are academies, including Huish Episcopi Secondary School ranked 1st. Wessex and Cornwall has also gained its fame for the University of Bristol, which today is one of the most sought after universities in western europe, at the same level as Oxford.

Health
Health in Wessex and Cornwall is provided by the National Health Service of Wessex and Cornwall, which is funded by the taxpayer, and free at time of usage for universal healthcare. The NHSW takes its organisational structure from the British National Health Service, and has become one of the best in Western Europe. The NHSW was formed in 1972, from assets of the NHS already present in Wessex, and two state of the art hospitals at Frenchay, Bristol and Taunton, Somerset.

Communications
Wessex  and Cornwall has a somewhat advanced communications service, the most telecommunication services provided by GB companies such as O2 and Orange, whilst Vocal is one of the only Wessen and Cornish providers. Fiberoptic Internet has been available across the country since 2010. Wireless Internet is available throughout the country, mostly provided by Sky, Virgin Media and Vocal (owned by WessCom).

Transport
See Main: Transport in Wessex and Cornwall  Some of the greatest transport infrastructure in the country was designed and built by Isambard Kingdom Brunel in the late 1800's, including Temple Meads Station in central Bristol, Clifton Suspension Bridge in Clifton, Bristol aswell as much of the railyway service in Wessex and Cornwall. Wessex and Cornwall has a developed rail network, of which many connect straight into London in Great Britain, from Penzance in the far west of Wessex. The main line, the 'Heart of Wessex Line' connects Bristol to the east and west of the country, linking it to Weymouth, Dorset, Castle Cary and Yeovil in Somerset, all the way down to Penzance, Cornwall.

Wessex and Cornwall  has five airports, Bristol International, Newquay International, Exeter International, Gloucester Regional and Plymouth Regional, with Bristol being the largest and busiest of the four. Air links are also provided to the Isles of Scilly, from Bristol, Exeter, Newquay and Plymouth aswell as helicopter services from Land's End, the most westerly point in Wessex.

Wessex and Cornwall also has limited Motorway Networks, with the M1 (formerly the M5) linking Bristol to the far west in Exeter, with an extension completed in 2005, all the way down to Plymouth. The M1 also links the nation to Great Britain.

Religion
Wessex and Cornwall is constitutionally secular, and as a result, Wessex and Cornwall has been known as a humanist county, which is correct in many ways. No religious based political parties are permitted to operate in Weesex an Cornwall, and strong measures go to separate the Church from the state.

The indigenous religion in Wessex and Cornwall is Druidism, which is centred around Stonehenge. Druidism is a form of Pagansim, centred around worshipping the gods of nature and environmentalism. Several New Age religions have major centres in Wessex and Cornwall, particularly in Glastonbury, such as Shamanism. Glastonbury is known as the Global Capital for New Age philosophies.

While these practices are not widespread throughout Wessex and Cornwall they are dominant in certain centres, the dominant beliefs in Wessex and Cornwall are Atheism, Christianity, Non-Religious outlooks on life. Smaller pockets of religions such as Islam, Judaisim, Hinduism and Sihkism survive in larger population centres, such as Bristol or Plymouth.

Accoridng to the 2012 census, more than 42% would describe themselves as Atheist, Agnostic, while 40% of a Christian Denomination, 6% Folk Religion, such as Druidism, 2% Islam, 1% Judaism, and a further 9% Non-Religious.

Language
The official language of Wessex and Cornwall is British English, which is used in all government preceedings. The second most spoken language in Wessex and Cornwall is Cornish, which is the official language of Cornwall, and appears alongside with English on Cornish roadsigns and other signs. Following this, the proposed Wessen Language is spoken in isolated pockets, mostly by Wessen Nationalists.