Rockall


 * This article refers to the nation of Rockall within the Seafaring Confederation. For the article of the nation that is up for adoption, see Rockall.

The Most Preferable Earldom of the Island of Rockall, (Rockallian: An Féarrach Iarlateachd nan Oilín Ruicheall, Fernolian: An Irliticht Fírric nEoil Rúichill, Astrallic: An Iorlteachd Feaoinnic nan Oileun Rucall, German: Die am meisten bevorzugte Grafschaft der Insel Rockalls, German Low Saxon: Die Meist zu Verkiesen Grafskoft von dass Rokkallinsel, Dutch Low Saxon: De Heugst-keuzen Groafskop van t Eilaand Rokkel, Dutch: De Meest te Verkiezen Graafschap van het Eiland Rockall, Dogrish: Míst at Villa Grefskoppen Rokkalleyjetts, Howrish: Místvillað Gráfsköppi Rókkallöjins, Scots Gaelic: An Iarlatachd as Glaise na h-Eilein na Ruich, Faroese: Mestvillið Gráfskóppsríki Oyggjarinnar Rokkurins, Romic: An Iòrdhlannateàchd as Feàirr na h-Eàdhlinna na Ruichàidhl, Welsh: Yr Iarllaeth Mwyaf Well yr Ynys Rwychyll) is one of the nations of the Seafaring Confederation.

With approximately 7,521,807 inhabitants, the Earldom of Rockall is the second largest nation of the Seafaring Confederation and thus sends 70 representatives to the House of Representatives of the Seafaring Confederation. Its capital is An Bhá nan Éirith Ghréine.

Etymology
The origin and meaning of the name "Rockall" are uncertain. The Old Norse name for the islet, Ròcal, may contain the element fjall, meaning "mountain". It has also been suggested that the name is from the Norse *rok, meaning "foaming sea", and kollr, meaning "bald head" — a word which appears in other placenames in Scandinavian-speaking areas.

Politics
Rockall is a federal parliamentary democracy and constitutional aristocracy, although the actual nature of the Rockallic political landscape is unique in the world and is in no way limited to these descriptions.

Structure
The Earldom of Rockall is geographically divided into viscountcies, baronies and baronetcies. Viscountcies are semi-autonomous subdivisions akin to U.S. states, baronies are local government districts akin to counties, and baronetcies are the lowest government tier akin to municipalities or civil parishes (the official English translation used by the Rockallic government is "civil parish"). Baronetcies are lead by a baronet directly accountable to a Baronetcy Council. These baronetcies are directly governed by the Barony Council of their respective barony, and the baronet is directly accountable to the baron of that barony. A barony may hold the power to legislate several things depending on what the viscountcy choses to devolve to the baronies. These baronies are directly responsible to the Viscountcy Council and the barons to the viscount.

Viscountcies are semi-autonomous entities, the autonomy of which is protected by the Constitution of Rockall. Viscountcies have the power to legislate for everything except matters of internal matters of other viscountcies, inter-viscountcy matters of national importance, foreign relations, the national treasury, the national judiciary, health, and environmental matters.

The viscountcies and the viscounts are directly accountable to the Earl of Rockall, which in its turn is directly accountable to the House of Commons of the Earldom of Rockall. The Earl is an academic who is elected "for life or until he willfully resigns".

Above the Earl are the marquesses. There are a total of 6 marquesses, which are elected by the Duke. They relay their intentions through the Earl to the House of Commons, that in their turn votes on the proposed legislation, holding the power to accept or reject it. If the House of Commons accepts it, it will be brought to the House of Lords of the Earldom of Rockall, where it will be voted on, which in its turn can also accept or reject it. Both houses can also propose legislation of their own, which, if accepted by both houses, must obligatorily be carried out by the marquesses.

The House of Commons and the House of Lords are together known as the Dukedom. They are, in their power as representative of the people, considered the highest authority of the nation, and all marquesses are accountable to the Duke.

Baronets
For more information see: Baronet of Rockall.

Baronets (female: baronetesses) are the leaders of the baronetcies, the lowest tier of government of Rockall. In essence they are the mayor of their respective baronetcies. They answer directly to the baron of the barony that they are located in, if they are the baronet of a baronetcy in a viscountcy with baronies. If the viscountcy that they are located in is not subdivided into baronies, then the baronet answers directly to the viscount. There 282 baronets.

The number of subjects of a baronet differs greatly. For instance, the baronetcy with the most inhabitants is Báiruinteachd na nBhá nan Éirith Ghréine in the Rockallic Federal District with 750,300, whilst the baronetcy with the smallest number of inhabitants is An Óibh in the barony of Óibh Ó Nuarth in the viscountcy of Cóste Ígheainne with 150.

Baronets are the leader of the executive council of their respective baronetcy and are directly accountable to the elected Baronetcy Council. They are the official representatives to any baronial or viscountcial tops, if those are held. The baronets are elected by the population of the baronetcy they live in.

Barons
For more information see: Baron of Rockall.

Barons (female: baronesses) are the leaders of the baronies, the tier of government beneath viscountcies. They are normally scholars or important politicians that are appointed by the viscount, but are elected locally in the viscountcy of An Móir Leautheinn. As a result of this they answer directly to the viscount of the viscountcy that they are located in. There are 14 barons.

The power of the baron is restricted to carrying out any legislation that has been passed by the barony council, although he is allowed to propose his own legislation. Barons serve terms of 2 years, after which they can be re-elected a maximum of 5 times; thus there is never a baron who is in office for longer than 10 years.

The baron is the official representative of the barony in interbaronial or suprabaronial matters.

Viscounts
For more information see: Viscount of Rockall.

Viscounts (female: viscountesses) are the leaders of the viscountcies, the 6 semi-autonomous entities of the Earldom of Rockall. They answer directly to the Earl of Rockall. There 6 viscounts.

Viscounts fulfil the role of governor of their respective semi-autonomous entities and are directly elected by the population of their respective viscountcy for a 5-year term, after which they can be infinitely re-elected.

Viscounts hold the power to veto legislation, which then needs a three-fifths majority in the Viscountcy Council to be overridden.

Earl
For more information see: Earl of Rockall.

The Earl of Rockall (female: Countess of Rockall) is the de facto leader of the country and the official representative of the country on international missions. The Earl is elected from an arrangement of scholars and serves the nation for life or until the Earl resigns. The Earl reserves the power to veto any legislation put forward by either of the houses, but this veto can be overriden by a four-fifths majority in both houses of the Dukedom.

Landscape


Rockall has four major landscape zones (see map to the right): mountains, rainforests, grasslands and agriculture. There is also a small dunes landscape area at the Bay of the South.

Mountains
Rockall is dominated by one mountain range, the Lóda na Núille, which is a Caledonide mountain range and is to some form an extent of the mountains in the Highlands. The Highland Boundary Fault ends in Loch Mhóllanne. The mountain range has several extensions along either side of this fault as well as southwards onto the Tail of Rockall.

Rainforests
For more information see: Rockallic temperate rainforests.

Rockall is well-known for its deciduous and coniferous temperate rainforests. Due to the island's position in the Atlantic Ocean and the height to which the clouds go to cool off in the mountains, there is always rain in at least 70% of the country at any given moment. Downpour exceeds 300mm on 320 days of the year.

This has created the temperate rainforests of Rockall, filled mostly with maples and oaks, with the occasional coniferous and redwood trees. The rainforests are the only place in Europe with a significant redwood forest.

There is one valley in the mountains known as the Valley of Eternal Rain, where it has rained constantly for the last 360 years due to it being an isolated ecosystem. Visiting the valley is prohibited. It has been put on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Grasslands
For more information see: Rockallic temperate grasslands.

On Rockall can be found several temperate grasslands ranging from small stretches of land on mountainslopes to large stretches of land along the coast. The grasslands consist mostly of tussock grasslands with sedge in the north, whilst grasslands in the south are generally more heather moorland.

Most of Rockall's major agricultural areas are located on grassland grounds.

Dunes
There is a small dune landscape to be found along the Bá na nDhiábhaille in the viscountcies of An Thir na tÁirdteachd and An Uinnia on the southern half of the island. The dunes are situated along the mouth of the Abháinn na nDhiábhaille.

Islands
The Earldom of Rockal consists of several islands, of which the Island of Rockall is by far the largest.

Other islands are:


 * An Eoila tÓ Nuarth with Eoil Sceilge and Mionncárraig;
 * An Oilíana hÓ Dhéase with Aoleoil, Réithchearraigh and Eoil na Máirbhdhine;
 * the island of Tóinn Dhúibh;
 * the island of Gléaoinnenoileun.

Subdivisions
Rockall is subdivided into 6 largely autonomous viscountcies, each headed by a viscount. Four of these six viscountcies are subdivided into a total of 13 baronies, each headed by a baron. The lowest tier of government are the 282 baronetcies, each headed by a baronet.

The 6 viscountcies are, in alphabetical order:


 * An Móir Leautheinn
 * An Thir na tÁirdteachd
 * An Uinnia
 * Cóste Ígheainne
 * Líchthiach Thiair
 * Rockallic Federal District.