Great Han Empire


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Hani, officially referred to as the Great Han Empire (Han: 大漢帝國, Dai Hantchigo) is a  consisting of the,  and other minor islands within its vicinity. A highly-centralized, it exercises jurisdiction over fourteen constituent states known as provinces, alongside numerous overseas and unincorporated territories situated throughout the. It has a total land area of approximately 337900 km2, a figure excluding contested regions, and with a population of about a 152 million residents, it is the eighth-most populous country and second regionally following. Administrative powers and wealth is mostly concentrated within the Great Han core–comprising of the Maynila metropolitan area and the surrounding –which collectively account for half of the national population.

The metatarsal of the is the oldest known human remnant within the islands carbon-dated to 67,000 BCE, predating the  by 40,000 years. However, the bulk of its modern inhabitants descend from an influx of (such as the early  and  cultures) from, displacing earlier arrivals and forcing its remnants upland. By the third century,  known as  formed, engaging in large-scale overseas trade, eventually coalescing into initially small feudalistic kingdoms. Advanced agricultural techniques and ample amounts of arable land, coupled with a period of relative peace and prosperity facilitated an early population boom. The most powerful of these such states was the Kingdom of Tondo, which had capitalized on the Chinese policy of (prohibition of maritime trade) to monopolize on regional trading routes. This enabled it to become an. At its apogee in the late 1500s, it overshadowed and dominated not only its neighbours but also competed with mainland Indochinese powers, intervening in their affairs. The Tondoese–Bruneian War, initiated by, eroded and vastly weakened its power, with aristocrats approaching Ming China for financial aid in exchange for increased and more frequent tributary missions.

The early 16th century marked a period of recovery and increased stability. However, in 1565,, headed by explorer  landed off the city of Maynila. While treated hospitably at first, upon learning of their intent to claim the islands on behalf of Spain, the fleet was forcibly expelled. This caused competition between the two countries, with an reinvigorated Tondo establishing a -style of administration encompassing all of its allies. Tensions culminated in the Tondoese–Spanish War, with the subsequent Treaty of Li Han highlighting clear maritime boundaries, thereby thwarting all Spanish ambitions save for a small enclave in Dabao. paved the way for Tondo to prove its independence, with its territorial legitimacy was bolstered and affirmed by the arrival of almost two million defectors, mainly members (most of whom were exclusively male) of the movement and their extended families. The new arrivals were influential in the cultural development of late Tondo, and eventually comprised much of the aristocracy and the mercantile class. This resulted in the exacerbation of the disparity between the north and the south, leading to the eventual dissolution of Tondo.

The 17th century marked rapid pre-industrial development under a centralized unitary state, headed by the House of Li (a merger between the House of Song and the House of Lakandula, the latter of which the former ). Its aristocracy endorsed a staunchly-Confucianist culture, and promoted the notion of ethnic homogeneity through various assimilationist policies. Literati purges and repressive policies pertaining to dissidents effectively culled any opposition. Through extensive trading relations with the West, it became an affluent country exporting world-renowned luxury items. This was accompanied by an influx of silver bullion, remonetizing a previously baseless economy and in-turn encouraged the development of an internal commercial economy. In response to British victory in the, the policy was implemented, forming the foundations of the Han foreign policy until the 1880s. However, increasingly lenient administration and lax laws on power attainment led to the erosion of royal authority; political strife between competing aristocrats combined with rising and  movements culminated in the corrosive Lingayen Rebellion in the 1860s, further undermining national stability.

Unable to resist, it would be subject to multiple before ultimately being annexed by Sierra following the Han–Sierran War and mediocre attempts at. After annexation, it became a directly-administered colony, with Sierran allies being given numerous territorial concessions (mainly port cities). Whilst it thrived economically, the oversaw the rise of the briefly-united Nationalist Party and the Communist Party, which eventually resulted in the expulsion of Sierra under the terms of the Hanyang Declaration (which was backed by the Japanese). The attempted Japanese conquest of the islands immediately followed by the First Han Civil War resulted in a victory for the Nationalists coupled with a massive loss of life. Following the First Han Civil War, Hani experienced a brief staunchly period, a policy that was nullified upon the shifting political climate of the late fifties.

Arising from the ashes of war, the catapulted it into. Hani ranks fourth on the within Asia. Having a highly educated and skilled workforce, it wields the world's third-largest economy when measured in. It has the world's and. Additionally, it also ranks highly on and on the. It is an influential member of numerous key organizations; it is recognized as a major, an emergent , and a. However, it still suffers from rife separatist and regionalist movements, a repressive undemocratic government, accompanied by high rates of suicide. Low levels of has held odds with its fellow Anglo–American allies, with bilateral relations on a general downward spiral.

Etymology
Hans refer to the country as Hani (Hanji: 丷二, : 哈尼 ; historically 韩一 ). This is the simplified contracted form, used for informal occasions, with the full term being Harigoku no Hani (蒂国丿哈尼 ). Locals often say the two terms with a rising pitch (part of the language's prosodic pitch system) to convey respect to the country.

The first aforementioned name emanates from the word Han (韩 ), which had originally been used to refer to the and their  descendants; groups collectively known as Chuugwourin. The term was widely popularized to refer to the entirety of all sinicized peoples during the early Li dynasty, partly driven by assimilationist policies. It was also popularized after the ascension of the in place of the. As many of the Hans rejected the dynastic change, not showing the same amount of geniality to the Qing when compared to the Ming, Li Young, the first monarch of the current House of Li, styled the Li as the true successors of the Ming. However, while the Qing did not recognised this and continued to refer to the Li by their official name, however Hani quickly grew popular and the official name was reserved for formal situations.

Prehistory

 * Main article: 

The earliest evidence of human habitation is the 67,000-year-old of the  in the northeast Gaya governorate, and the. However, the most widely accepted hypothesis on the peopling of the islands is the, which hypothesizes that Austronesians from Taiwan (which themselves are descended from the neolithic cultures of the , such as the ) began pouring into the islands starting 4000 BC–replacing and absorbing earlier arrivals.

The first known culture was the Batangas jade culture; whose presence was evident by exquisitely crafted jade artifacts. Other early cultures include the precursors of the Ifugao and Igorot peoples, who built the. sites were abundant in artefacts based on ; as typified by axes, swords, spearheads, knives and sickles. In contrast, much of the region was still using. An extensive trade network was also shown, as Sa Huỳnh beads were made of materials not found in the region, indicating they were imported. This culture also lived in the area now comprising South Vietnam (specifically the ), and may have been ancestral to the.

Prehistoric Hans were split into four distinct groupings. The first were agricultural residing in the mountains, hills hunter-gatherer tribes, and warrior societies that had a strict  and practiced. The fourth and most important group were maritime societies that partook in trans–island trade.

Early foreign accounts described the chiefdoms of the islands as being extremely skilled in, and highly competent as farmers, practicing and engaging in. An abundance of fowl, grains, honey, among other products, was noted.

Formation of barangay
By at least the third century, chiefdoms organized themselves into barangay–small political units headed by a datu (chief), who was in turn, subordinate to the rajah (king), who headed the entire city-state. Each barangay typically consisted of a hundred families, with some of the largest reaching thousands of people. They typically straddled the fertile river valleys and coasts. Transmitted via trade, many adopted – culture.

By the ninth century, these maritime city-states had grown to become competing  kingdoms. Some of these thalassocracies are briefly subjugated as of greater regional powers such as,  and , and as the  of the  and the.

Birth and growth of the Tondo dynasty

 * Main article: Kingdom of Tondo

As revealed by the, Tondo as a centralized state existed as far back the 9th century (at the least). However numerous  agglomerations have been found dating back a thousand years prior to that point. The legal document was written in the, and mentioned a ruling monarch as well as three places all in or near the Hanyang Bay area. Tondo was observed to be a matrilocal society dominated by aristocrats that primarily followed.

Due to the high rates of illiteracy, which ran rampant until the promulgation of the simple script in the 13th century, there were few historical documents from early Tondo. The already few written documents present were often burned by bureaucratic officials. Despite at the time being a confined, Tondo still experienced favourable overseas trading relations, with Tagalog pottery skills being renowned regionally–especially in Japan; where they were called Ruson-tsukuri (lit. "Luzon-made"; 呂宋製 or 呂宋つくり ). These vessels were not renowned for decorative purposes, but were also tea canisters greatly enhancing the fermentation process. This made it highly valuable and lucrative for foreign merchants.

Over time, Tondo exerted more influence over the  of the island, which was called Lusong after the Tagalog term for a "rice mortar". The thirteenth century, under Rajah Alon, oversaw the conquest of the lands to the north and to the south, greatly increasing the territorial extent of Tondo to encompass two-thirds of Ruzon. However, this was short-lived, as Majapahit eventually asserted over the territories and rendered Tondo a mere. Though some recent scholars argue this control of suzerainty was truly only ceremonial and it remained autonomous in virtually all its internal affairs. This relationship lasted until the in 1365, which oversaw a Tagalog victory and affirmed independence.

Shortly after independence, Tondo achieved a zenith in power. Having opened with the  in 1371, it agreed on the monopolization of the regional trading routes and the sole right to distribute Chinese goods under the  policy. In 1450, rose to power, and became the first recorded female Tagalog monarch (and the last monarch to follow ). Using her prowess in diplomacy, she created a with the neighbouring, and increased ties with Brunei to guarantee the security of the important monopoly.

Conflict with Brunei
By the sixteenth century, Tondo's monopoly on regional trade allowed it to grow excessively wealthy. In 1500,, the monarch of Brunei, sought to incorporate Tondo to inherit its trading rights and in-turn become affluent themselves. Bolkiah sent a group of envoys, seeking to marry one of monarch Dayang Kalangitan's nieces and establish a upon her death. He also demanded the conversion of the, the Lakandula, into Islam. Rejecting the terms, she implemented heavy restrictions on Muslim missionary activities to limit Islamic influence.

The following year, an assassination attempt involving a radical Muslim convert Salih Abdullah (who was ironically executed via stoning, a verdict that mocked ) would leave the Queen extremely injured and incapacitated–which were worsened by her elderly age. Exploiting the power vacuum, Sultan Bolkiah sent his army to subjugate Tondo. The  was proclaimed to be the legitimate royal house of Tondo, and much of the loyalist aristocratic class in occupied areas were either purged or forcibly converted. Fortunately, Prince Salalila, the helped hastily amassed government bureaucrats and relocated the seat of power to Bataan. With the former Queen relinquishing her powers (and choosing to abstain from being ), Salalila was crowned as Rajah.

With the aid of the Ming, who felt that a Buruneian annexation of Tondo would undermine the isolationist  policy and Chinese influence in the area, Rajah Salalila expelled the Bruneians from Maynila–thus crushing Sultan Bolkiah's imperialistic ambitions in Luzon. However, as part of the armistice, Brunei's influence over Palawan and Shonanmin were recognized.

Tondo as a Ming protectorate
Following the brief Tondo–Brunei War, Rajah Salalila enforced the ban on Muslim missionary activities, and implemented a cautious approach with the increasingly Islamicized Malay polities to the south. He also affirmed Tondo's and its preferential status on the tributary hierarchy, by sending biannual tributary missions. Over time, Tondo became a large source of revenue for the Chinese government. Lusong was notably rich in reserves of gold, silver, and copper bullion; many of which were mined and shipped to China to mitigate for its lack thereof.

After repeated instances of raids on merchant vessels traversing between Fuzhou and Tondo (which threatened the flow of precious metals), Tondo was annexed as a  within the first year of 's reign. As a result, the Rajah lost control over the country's but by theory (not by-practice however), upheld internal autonomy. He was also obliged to send tributary missions three times annually. Furthermore, the establishment of an organized legislature, the Tondo state-council further weakened the royal powers bestown upon the House of Lakandula. The first years oversaw the implementation of many reforms–with court officials and the royalty being required to be clad in Chinese clothing, the implementation of the and a, as well as the standardization of Chinese scientific models and technological methods.

In 1516, a Portugese fleet led by (a cousin of the famed  briefly docked in Maynila (en-route to China). The fleet was warmly received by the locals, but negotiations failed to establish trading ties as the Chinese government refused to diverge from their  policies. However, Tondo emerged as an intermediary between indirect trade with China and its European trading powers during under the reign of.

In 1565, a fleet of Spanish conquistadors, headed by explorer landed off the city of Maynila. Initially treated hospitably, upon of hearing their intent to claim the islands on behalf of Spain, Rajah Banaw was forced to dismiss the fleet. With Spanish silver being offered in larger quantities than the silver mined in Lusong, the Ming was torn being allowing Spanish imperialistic ambitions in its protectorate or ceasing its lucrative trading relationship with Spain. Starting in the reign of and the end of the  policy in 1571, the Chinese began adopting a non-interventionist policy pertaining to Tondo; gradually returning administrative powers to the Tagalog royalty.

This sudden renouncement of Ming support, despite being compliant with Ming requests of tribute, galvanized Rajah Banaw. As a result, he centralized the imperial court through systematic purges among the literati, whilst also giving powers to the monarchy.

In 1575, the capitulation of Brunei (its erstwhile adversary) to the Spaniards prompted him to terminate tributary missions, and later the formal withdrawal from the Chinese tributary system later that year. Interestingly, the Rajah later fostered several armistices with leaders, and some of them were appointed high positions within the royal navy; most notably skilled Admiral Limahong and Admiral Lin Daoqian. This decision was highly instrumental in guaranteeing autonomy, and utilizing the naval prowess of his two main collaborators, the Rajah organized raids on Chinese ports and Spanish colonial outposts, interfering in their bilateral trade and using the acquired bullion to fund these efforts.

In 1580, state-funded pirates kill Spanish commander Juan de Salcedo, who had been travelling in Pangasinan at the time. His fleet was also held hostage, a confrontation that would provide on behalf of Spain. Already bothered by the disturbing resurgence of organized piracy directly caused by the anti–Chinese policies of Rajah Banaw, the secretly gave discretion for a Spanish punitive expedition for Tondo and an installation of a passive government.

Decline
By the closing decade of the Tondo dynasty, people identifying as comprised a tenth of the total population, with those having some kind of Chinese ancestry (who called themselves chuugwourin after the Han pronunciation of the characters "中国人 ") comprising as much as a third. However, due to assimilationist policies, many of these people were familiar with the culture and were often bilingual in both either, , or , alongside.

However, due to their backgrounds (an overwhelming amount of these diaspora were merchants or bureaucrats), they comprised a disproportionate amount of the elite. As much as a third of the court members were of Chinese extraction, along with almost half of merchants. To pander to the growing Chinese minority (most of which were Ming royalists who were distraught over the Qing and the Aisin Gioro) and the increasingly sinicized elite and court, the Lankandula under King Arawa had formally adopted only their Chinese titles, whereas they upheld both, though favoured their Tagalog ones. King Arawa also abandoned  in-favour of converting into, which also elevated as the.

This disparity and the sudden change in attitude of Tagalog royalty provided the ideological platform for the orthodox faction of the imperial court; who sought the reinforcement of traditional doctrines and customs derived from Tondo's Hindu and Buddhist past. Initially, the members of the orthodox faction had only desired some sort of law promoting (rather than favouring Chinese culture), and pushed for the reintroduction of dual-titles and religious freedoms. However, the two sides eventually, and the country had split into two distinct sides; a royalist north, primarily the area comprising Hanyang and its periphery, the , and the Gaya valley, and were exposed to sinicization; and the secessionist south.

In an incident known as the "First Literati Purges", members of the orthodox faction were purged from the imperial court by King Arawa and his advisors, prompting the faction into further radicalization. The imperial court quickly became not only fractured, but dysfunctional and unable to perform their duties. As a result, many provincial bureaucrats became largely autonomous and broke off from the King.

Capitulation and Na period
In 1575, the Jayadeva clan under head Chakar led an army from Zambales (now, the contemporary Sambaka province), to Lingayen. With much of the south in political strife, Hanyang was unable to send reinforcements, and Lingayen (a historical stronghold for the sinicized faction) capitulated to his forces. Following this, he proclaimed that the House of Jayadeva are the successors of the House of Lakandula, and was crowned the King of the Na dynasty.

While the loss of the (the main port area used for trade with China), the main blow was when national treasury (in particular silver bullion) had become depleted in his decades-long effort to defend its Taiwan colony against the Qing. As a result of the newly implemented Sarado policy (which while, was distinct from the policy during 19th century Li dynasty that bore the same name), the imperial court refused to import Spanish silver, and instead relied on copper coinage. However, copper cannot be proven without being broken, and thus many coins were counterfeited. Also, the abundance of copper meant that the coinage had lacked in value, prompting rural merchants to resort to as a medium for transactions. Lacking the finances to exert control, central rule disintegrated, and the Lakandula were able to practice their powers in Hanyang and its periphery.

Utilizing this, King Chakar sought to gain the loyalty of various independent warlords (collectively known as mihariga, after the warrior caste) that had emerged from previous provincial governments, promising to provide resources in-exchange. However, many were deterred by the fact that they had to perform before him, alongside his orthodox views. Nevertheless, many conservative mihariga accepted this and the Na dynasty grew to become a legitimate, albeit also weak, rival to the Tondo dynasty.

Consolidation of royal rule
During the early years of the Li dynasty, the first monarch, Li Young sought to legitimize and consolidate royal power, purging mihariga lords and establishing a highly centralized court system. He abandoned the title of wang (王 ; "King"), and instead adopted the title of chi (蒂 ; "Emperor") which nominally upheld his status to the equivalent to the Chinese Emperor. He also changed the country's name to Dai Han (大汉 ), which meant "Great Han".

He also abolished the tradition of in 1706, and instead chose bureaucratic positions via imperial appointment. While this allowed him to secure a base of support within the imperial court and to restrict the amount of dissidents within the government, this also prompted numerous cases of corruption and incompetence. Li Young had also created a, and a based on wooden tags to effectively collect taxes and monitor the movement of people. However, in 1717, Li Young had fell ill to malaria. With his death seemingly preeminent, he was coerced into picking a early by his wife. He picked his third and youngest child, Princess Li Rin, a selection which was strikingly controversial as she was a female (typically male heirs are prioritized, and she had two elderly brothers). Furthermore, she was not even within the age of maturity, just being merely seventeen at the time she was chosen. A result, many had (wrongfully) assumed she was incompetent and ill-fitted to rule.

Initially, the court was forced to comply or face with the prospect of being purged. However, as Li Young succumbed to his disease and Li Rin was coronated as the Empress shortly after, the court became vocal about their concerns and rejected her authority. Two opposing sides were drawn; those who had sided with Li Rin, and the opposition that wished to instate Prince Li Wei (the eldest of the former monarch's children) as the Emperor. Surprisingly, many of his supporters were high-ranking officials that had been favoured by the former Emperor. Seeing the of her court as a threat to her power, she initiated the "Second Literati Purges", where she ordered the systematic execution of the oppositional faction and their proponents under charges of.

This decree galvanized the oppositional faction, forcing them to act preemptively. Li Wei brought a thousand-man army comprised of peasants (mostly volunteers accepting bribes) on the gates of the imperial residences in attempt to force the Empress to step down from her position. Placing a body-double temporarily and  in-charge, she and supportive court members fled the palace and travelled to southern Li Han. She came back after a week, discovering that her palace has been ransacked and her body-double had been exposed and subsequently killed. Exploiting her absence and the resultant, Li Wei had placed himself on throne. She eventually poisoned him posing as one of his royal consorts.

Reign of Li Rin

 * See also: Li Rin

Once regaining her throne, Li Rin implemented laws that meant to cement the royal legitimacy of the House of Li. While she reluctantly reestablished a rather strained with the Qing, she refuted the their position as the legal successor of the Ming, as much as to revise family records to support her claim. She also adopted the, and briefly claimed sovereignty over China. Noticing how her aristocratic subjects had polarized after her father's death, she switched to a policy of maintaining support among the commoners. labour was outlawed and instead replaced it with a head tax system used to hire labourers. As a result, the serf caste was abolished, with serfs subsequently emancipated into the peasantry. As part of the land reform, former serfs were given parcels of land.

In 1720, she and her scholar court formulated and enforced an that coerced minorities to submit under Han culture. A law was passed that pointed out that only those of Han ancestry were eligible to be appointed bureaucratic positions. She also declared the Hanyang dialect of the Han language as the  (over which had been previously standardized by chuugwourin diaspora), an edict facilitiated by the promulgation of Hanji (which had been banned previously) and the first grammatical conventions. However, her early rule was marked by financial strain. Initially, she maintained the isolationist policy and instead seized properties to fill the depleting national treasury. After attempting to rely on copper coinage and low-value, she instead was forced to forge cordial trading relations with European trading powers, mainly its erstwhile adversary Spain. After negotiations, the port of Shinan was declared a between the two. Reinvigorated foreign trade remonetized what was previously a stagnant economy, and the medium of transactions shifted to silver coinage.

However, foreign trade had only boomed until the Qing enacted the in 1756, which restricted all maritime trade affairs to Guangdong. The Li, being a tributary, was exempted and was given preferential trade status. As a result, Li Rin capitalized on this and sold lucrative goods (such as tea, silk, manufactures and porcelain) at lower prices than what was offered in China. Being an, this resulted in a wide in-favour of the Li, as a result, the national treasury had reported a wealth and excess in silver bullion. Vigorous trade had also permitted the spread of, with maize, chili peppers, and corn being introduced cultivate en-masse in large communal plots of land. While the enlarged role of commercial market and merchant guilds (which had began to acquire political influence) troubled the court, the heterodoxy popularized by Li Rin had introduced an accommodating attitude which was crucial in deterring a reemergence in isolationism.

In 1768, at the age of sixty-eight and after fifty years of holding the title as Empress, Li Rin choose to abdicate from the throne in anticipation of her death. The eldest child out of her four children, and the designated, Li Chang, was coronated as the. As he was still at the tender age of fifteen, Li Rin took the role as. However, she continued to exert large influence over the state-council and national policies, thus maintaining rule.

Reign of Li Chang and Li Dang
The reign of Li Chang saw the continuation of the success under Li Rin.

Han–Sierran War
In 1898, Emperor Li Huang, who headed the progressive faction of the imperial court, passed away. As a result, Empress consort Mei Ling became the, receiving administrative powers in-place of their seven-year old son. As she was a major proponent of the conservative faction, she ceased modernization programs and expelled foreign influence from Hani; reestablishing the policies of the past while nullifying several key  with foreign powers, but in-practice they remained in-place.

Seeking rapprochement with its erstwhile, Sierra sent emissaries to Hanyang to sort out relations. Having trespassed and ignored the new isolationist policy, the Empress executed the emissaries alongside a thousand martyred Christian converts, some of which are foreign missionaries. This received international condemnation, and thus, Hani faced numerous trade that crippled its export-based economy. The few journalists that had documented the atrocities also helped fuelled anti–Han sentiment among the Sierran public, and helped the Sierran government review its approach with the increasingly hostile.

Sierra eventually listened to public pressure, launching an invasion which came to be known as the five-year long Han–Sierran War. Regent Mei Ling used the war effort as an excuse to purge the imperial court of political dissidents; mainly members of the progressive faction. Initially maintaining a firm, over time, Sierran forces managed to seize important ports. Whilst Hani experienced a substantial degree of industrialization, it still lacked the ability to mass-produce weaponries, and instead was coerced to rely on its trading powers for weaponries. Furthermore, the national treasury became drained of bullion reserves to peg its floating currency, which experienced chronic hyperinflation and forcing the government into effective bankruptcy. However, the Great Han core, had not faced any incursions until the final two years of the campaign.

In 1905, the regent Mei Ling committed suicide alongside two other prominent leaders General Fu Jin and General Cheng Wan, after failing to preserve Hanyang. As a result, twelve-year old Li Min ascended to the throne with full administrative powers. The collapse of the bureaucratic institutions, coupled with the delegitmization of royal power, triggered the mass-scale capitulation and defection among the Han army. Li Min's uncle temporarily assumed title as regent; signing his abdication papers and under the Emperor's approval signing the Han Treaty of Capitulation, concluding the conflict.

Sierran colonial period
In 1905, following the lengthy Han–Sierran War, Sierra successfully annexed Hani under the Han Treaty of Capitulation. However, the legality of the treaty had been disputed, with many Han bureaucrats treating it as invalid as the monarch (the recently deceased Empress Dowager Mei Ling) did not apply the royal seal.

One of the first reforms was the abolishment of the caste system, which triggered the outflow of Han bureaucrats to Japan and China. This allowed the Sierran colonial authorities to easily seize power. Furthermore, the taxation system was heavily revamped, with large tracts of land being stolen from former bureaucrats and with tenant farmers being evicted. Apart from the introduction of initial reforms, the first stage of the Sierran colonial period was focused on the integration of the House of Li. Albeit with vastly reduced powers, they were kept as the . However, members of the house were placed under house-arrest in the Naragi palace in Hanyang, and had to receive formal permission to exit the premises. In addition, the members were often separated and barred from being placed within the same room apart from special occasions and the shooting of Sierran political films.

In 1909, four years into colonial rule, the colonial government launched an attempt to fuse the Han royalty as a subordinate of the Sierran House of Columbia. These intermarriages were widely publicized, but those who had resisted the offer were forcefully ripped of their titles. Many royals thus reluctantly married at a young age, and practiced strict to preserve the purity of the royal bloodline. In 1914, the selected heir apparent, Crown Princess Li Qin, announced her marriage to a Sierran royal. This sparked wide criticism, but domestically and within Sierra. Many also accused of the marriage of being an orchestrated imperialist plot to terminate the royal lineage, as documents were leaked of his infertility.

This triggered the independence rallies and strikes, culminating in the largely peaceful April 7th Movement in 1915. In face of the protests, the Sierran government forcefully ousted them out of the Imperial Palace; which was then symbolically burnt to ashes and replaced with a garden commemorating Sierran history. Many of the activists were jailed and tortured, with thousands publicly hanged. The House of Li subsequently found refuge in China and Japan where they were granted special status. In Japan, many members adopted Japanese citizenship and even were absorbed into their imperial family. Shanghai, which was host to a large Han diaspora, became a base of many Han independence activists

Roaring Twenties and Great Depression
During the, Sierra had used Hani to occupy German colonial holdings in the Pacific, and therefor increasing control over the Pacific. As part of the, the were transferred from Germany to Sierra. The period also saw the cementation of the Sierran Cultural Revolution (which turned Sierra from a monolithic to a fusionist culture), as many Hans emigrated to Sierra to study or to work.

The which quickly followed the war saw the softening of Sierran colonial rule, facilitated by the appointment of many pro–Sierran collaborationist Hans into the colonial government. Hanji, which was previously banned, was instated as the national script alongside, or the usage of the Latin alphabet to transcribe Han. However, the latter was often preferred, with the former being marginalized in many texts. This coincided with the spread of modern education and literacy, which allowed literature and fiction to flourish. also grew rapidly in the number of adherents, facilitated by vigorous missionary activities conducted by Sierra, as well as its efforts to undermine its traditional Confucianist following.

From 1923 until 1931, Hans were also granted and were allowed to vote among specific pool of preliminary candidates to comprise their increasingly autonomous colonial government. However, the unanimously approved Peace Preservation Law was also enacted to target political groups that were counted as radical or detrimental to national security. The law also not only prescribed overtly harsh penalties on dissidents, but also justified the usage of brutality on them.

As a result of lax political freedoms combined with increased education attainment levels, interest Han nationalism and national historiography resurfaced, which had been present in an organized form since the late 19th century, but only had been popularized by the publishment of Rishun Hani ("History of Hani"), by author Bi Shang in 1924. Despite the book being banned and its author being jailed (later pardoned), it was still widely distributed covertly. Inspired by this, the Grand National Front (the precursor to the Grand National Party) was established under chairman Haru Meijing (which later became the first Premier of Hani). In the more industrialized South, the Han Communist Party was formed by disgruntled worker unions and orchestrated sporadic revolts in mainly Shinan and Zambwōn. Having been born out of a mutual ideology, and having the common goal of overthrowing Sierran rule, the two main revolutionary groups forged a tenuous alliance and partitioned the archipelago into two with Senban agreed as a future demarcation point.

Han Revolutionary War
The in the early thirties hastened the progress of the Han state towards complete independence and decolonization. Labour unions bitterly opposed to the inflow of low-cost yet relatively high-quality goods into mainland Sierra, which effectively competed with Sierran-made products. This, along with the financial burden of having to support a colony perceived to be capable of self-government, the public realization of the atrocities coinciding with the Sierran occupation of the islands, and other factors mounted to growing public opposition to continued Sierran presence.

However, the Sierran government was still reluctant to lose its grip over the Pacific, as it saw its Han colonies to be a major source of revenue, and a bulwark against perceived, especially after the following the infamous. To satisfy the calls of the public, the Sierran Parliament passed the Han Absorption Act in 1934, which aimed to incorporate Hani as a within ten-years, maintaining assimilationist policies and implementing trade tariffs between the two. Whilst drafted with the aid of collaborationist Hans, the general Han public rejected it.

In 1936, two groups pro-independence groups; the Socialist Party, and the Nationalist Party, briefly unified into a single coalition. Initially wielding insufficient resources, it attracted a massive number of defectors from the Sierran colonial army. It also received funding and monetary donations from pro-independence households. From its declared at Kafuga, the Grand National Party incited rebellion through radio broadcasts alongside the distribution of leaflet pamphlets promoting disobedience among colonial subjects.

In December of that year, the Nationalist Army, comprised of three-hundred thousand volunteers and defectors, declared war against the the waning grip of Sierran rulers. Within weeks, the army overran defences and occupied the entirety of Beido north of Hanyang. Seeking to avoid humanitarian damage, as had occurred in the Han–Sierran War, the Governor–General declared Hanyang to be an, with defending forces withdrawing to the before finally retreating to. Striving to later stage a naval offensive, the weak supply lines sapped strength, and eventually the defending forces were ousted from the islands.

Overwhelmed, the Sierran government reluctantly agreed to Han terms of surrender as stated by the Hanyang declaration, concluding the Han Liberation War. Whilst the colony was granted full and unconditional independence, and both maintained relations (under the common goal of containing Japan), Hani allowed the concession of Palawan and Cuyo to persist; as over 32-years of rule had radically modified its socio-economic climate.

Initial isolationism
After the Han Civil War, the government of Hani was virtually bankrupt due to the disastrous war campaign (as the government initially refused aid from interested foreign parties). Despite efforts by the government to crush down leftist dissent, it still persisted, mainly based within the Hanyang metropolitan area and the liberalized leftist southern provinces.

In July 6, 1950, Premier Jin Li died under natural causes at the age of seventy. His death left a power vacuum. The ensuing political chaos prompted First Deputy Gou Miao to assume the role of acting Premier, imposing a state of and abolishing ; which enabled him to jail and execute several political opponents, which included associates of the former head of government. He passed through several constitutional amendments which made the Premier an -appointed position, as well as abolished the established two-term limit. A was established to secure a smooth transition, but was dismantled after the 1951 parliamentary elections.

Premier Gou Miao severed all formal foreign relations, causing the withdrawal of foreign aid and capital flight en-masse; causing the economy to experience an unprecedented downturn. This was excarbated by the lack of reserves to stabilize the value of the Han currency, resulting in. In response, his administration drafted an economic policy of -oriented. Whilst he minimalized the role of the state in economics–adopting a  approach, he implemented further land reform by distributing out parcels of previously government-owned cultivatable land.

Due to increasingly repressive and authoritarian measures taken to surpress communism, coupled with poor economic policies resulting in widespread destitution, the public began to lose faith within the administration. The 1955 parliamentary elections was suspected to be rigged in-favour of the then-incumbent administration, as the administration had won by a landslide and all its members being re-elected. In contrast, most independent polls and voting counts clearly displayed the opposite.

In March 18, 1958, a occurred.

Rapprochement with the West
The Morihua Revolution (known in the West as the Jasmine Revolution), spearheaded by Major General Tchang Shuuying ousted the former administration, putting an end to its increasingly lenient and plutocratic style of rule. Convinced that the poor socio-economic conditions caused by inadequate and underfunded reconstruction programs would cause the country to lapse into communism, Tchang Shuuying utilized his newly-acquired authority to dissolve the powerless National Assembly, and a coalition of military officers was established to serve as a substitute legislative body.

The military junta declared that anti-communism would lay the basis of a new national foreign policy, ending a decade of pursued self-imposed isolationism. It severed ties with anti-American states including the and the  in-favour of reestablishing cordial relations with the members of the Conference of American States, normalizing its diplomatic relationship with Sierra via the Treaty on Basic Relations in-exchange for reparations for atrocities and damage inflicted during the colonial era (including forced labour and the seizure of property without consent)–a sum of approximately $2.400 billion (in 1958 dollars), or approximately $20.3 billion in modern monetary value. Asides from financial compensation, Sierra promise to grant free college tuition to scholars for the next eight years, facilitating the reversal of the experienced during the turmoil of the fifties, and the creation of a highly-skilled and Western-friendly labour force.

Tchang Shuuying reinstalled a civilian government two years succeeding the implementation of military rule. He held free elections and supported government transparency, winning by a wide margin of fifty percent over the opposition leader. However many leftist politicians were purged during the preceding two year interim period, leaving most leftover politicians to be former military officers. Following his landslide victory, he instituted a (instead of the  pioneered by the previous government), and removed restrictions on, guaranteeing him a life-long presidential tenure. Since he viewed the monarchy as a threat to his power, he repressed their powers and rendered them as marginalized figureheads, exploiting them as to provide stability to the fledgeling government.

Heavy Industrial Drive
The administration constructed a  market economy based upon the practices of. Hani utilized the abundance of cheap yet abundant labour as the catalyst for economic development; which were laid out through various economic plans prioritizing the development of. In addition, it was rich in human capital, already holding a relatively high educational attainment, especially for the region and compared to countries espousing a similar level of socio-economic development. Hani for example, displayed and a majority literate population. Financial capital was considered also a pre-requisite for such rapid and ambitious development, so the regime graciously allowed direct-foreign investment and eagerly accepted the influx of financial aid. Furthermore, a select group of businesses engaged primarily in heavy industries were selected by the government. These businesses were granted low-interest loans and numerous tax benefits from the banking sector (monopolized and nationalized by the state-owned Han Central Bank), and under government supervision and guidance grew into large international business conglomerates known as Qianzu, which were mainly family-owned and privatized.

As a result, the Second Economic Plan yielded favourable results, consistently breaching goals in spite of allegations of deliberate inflation of the results. The industrial sector rose rapidly, aided by the massive demand for labour-intensive manufactured goods in Western and Japanese markets. Workers began to congregate in urban areas (particularly the emerging Hanyang megacity) where the majority of industrial facilities and employment opportunities were situated in, causing a massive within rural communities. In order to facilitiate the modernization campaign, the work ethic was instilled, with many workers serving long working hours as a result. To maximize labour participation, women were encouraged to work as well, which coincided with the two-child policy and the breakdown of traditional family roles. These and other efforts promoting the full usage of idle resources maximized gross economic output.

However, despite rapid economic overhaul under the capitalist model and attempts to restrict and censor leftist material, pro-socialist movements began growing in popularity by the late 60s, becoming a minuscule but vocal minority. This was in response to growing social and regional wealth disparities, as the agrarian southern provinces often lagged in development and failed to achieve comparable gains made by the northern provinces. The government's legitimacy was also challenged by its deep involvement in the ; while the government saw this as an opportunity to prove loyalty to Sierran politicians skeptic of Han cooperation, and to justify an increasingly foreign policy, many also viewed it unnecessary to intervene in Indochinese affairs especially when Hani itself has just finished reeling itself from its own civil war. In response to mounting public scrutiny, the majority of active Han forces serving in Vietnam withdrew in 1973, a move mirroring the policy of pioneered by Anglo–America. In face of the ramifications of a communist victory and the newly-asserted, Hani was additionally encouraged to soften its image to the communist China, eventually normalizing bilateral relations, and establishing a consulate (then a full-fledged embassy) situated in Fuzhou. As part of the agreement, Hani recognized their independence and supported their membership in the League of Nations, in-spite of the continued Han recognition of Hainan as a separate polity.

Political turmoil
By 70s, the public, for the most part, became increasingly ambivalent to politics, while the administration grew to become increasingly factionalized and divided. While the executive branch remained faithful to the commands of Prime Minister Tchang, the legislative branch became infiltrated by leftist elements and grew to dislike the increasingly authoritarian regime. In 1972, the Constitutional Convention occurred, with Prime Minister Tchaang seeking to establish a government, with candidates of the Nationalist Party and its minor affiliates only being able to run for elections. However, an overwhelming majority of the legislature voted against this, leading to the declaration of in September 27, 1972, with the subsequent suspending of the constitution. Meanwhile, the implementation of  enabled him to arrest his political opponents, and in extreme cases he hired hitmen to assassinate them. He dissolved the National Diet and thereby assumed total control of the legislative process, passing and abolishing laws at whim. Public surveillance, and other efforts to monitor the movement of people, such as compulsory identification tags, were also implemented.

Geography
Hani is an comprised of numerous islands. It is bordered by the to the north, the  (East Han Sea) to the east, the  (West Han Sea) to the west, and the  to the south. The island of is located a few hundred miles southwest while  is located directly to the northwest. The and  are located to the south-southwest. The Han home island islands, otherwise known of (comprised of three island groups;, , and ), has a total of 7,107 islands with a total area of 300,000 km2 (115,831 sq. mi).

The highest point in Hani is ; located on the island of, it measures up to 3,952 meters (12,966 feet) above sea level. In contrast, in the  is the deepest point in Hani and is the third deepest point in the world with a depth of more than 10,540 metres (34,580 feet). The trench is located in the Han sea. The longest river is the which is located in the. Its basin measures at a 27,280 km2 (10,533 sq. mi) while having a total length of 505 km2 (314 sq. mi). , which is next to the capital city of, is connected to its largest lake, , via the.

Hani is situated on the Western fringes of the, and as a result, Hani experiences common seismic and volcanic activity, with up to twenty earthquakes registered daily. Fortunately, an overwhelming majority of these earthquakes are too weak to be felt or to pose a threat to the island's safety. Not all geographic features are so violent or destructive, an example of one of the most serene legacies of the geologic disturbances is the, which is one of the new. The surrounding area is a major target of conservation efforts, as it is one of the few largely untouched places in Hani, and contains a full mountain-to-the-sea ecosystem and a high endemism rate.

Being located in the tropics, most of the islands, with the notable exemption of (which is dominated by flatlands and urban agglomerations), are covered in thick tropical rainforest and are mainly volcanic in origin. As a result of its volcanic nature, Hani has the second-largest gold deposits globally, one of the largest copper deposits, but is also rich in nickel, chromite, and zinc. Hani is the world's largest, providing roughly a fourth (approximately twenty-four percent) of the country's electricity demand.

Climate
Hani has a tropical maritime climate, and is usually hot and humid. Temperatures usually range from 21ºc (70ºf) to 32ºc (90ºf) although it can get cooler or hotter depending on the season. The coolest month is January; the warmest is May.

Altitude typically is the most significant factor in regional variations in temperature, rather than location in terms of latitude or longitude. For example, the average yearly temperature in Kafugwai, which is at an elevation of around 1,5000 metres (4,900 feet) above sea level is 18.3ºc (64.9ºf). In contrast, the average yearly temperature at sea level is about 26.6ºc (79.9ºf).

Situated directly upon the typhoon belt, the archipelago receives yearly torrential rains and thunderstorms during the wet season, which lasts from July to October. An average of nineteen typhoons enter the Han area of responsibility annually, with about eight or nine making landfall. Annual rainfall measures as much as 5,000 millimeters (200 in) in the mountainous east coast section but less than 1,000 millimeters (39 in) in some of the sheltered valleys.

Administrative divisions
Hani proper, a region comprising the, is divided into eight known as governorates, which are in turn divided into prefectures, component cities, and special cities (which serve as the administrative capitals for their respective governorates). All of these prefectures and equivalent prefecture-level equivalents are further divided into sub-entities including counties, districts, towns, neighbourhoods, villages, and hamlets.

Governorates enjoy a degree of autonomy in internal affairs and decisions, but are subject under the constitution and may be reorganized or dissolve per the discretion of the legislature. Each governorate is led by an elected Governor, who is obligated to enforce both federal and local laws. Prefectures and prefecture-level equivalents are headed by the Lead Chairman, which is the highest attainable rank in the municipal council.

Government and politics
The Great Han Empire is a    espousing a ; in which the monarch is the designated, while the Prime Minister serves as the  (leading the ) as well as being a member of the legislative branch. However, the Prime Minister is elected through popular vote (instead of electoral college), with a fixed term length of six years with a maximum tenure of three terms, as opposed to commanding the of the Parliament. Upon breaching this limit, the Prime Minister is barred from holding office.

The body is the  National Diet, which consists of two chambers: the Senate (with a total of eighty seats) and the National Congress (a total of three-hundred seats). Voting is compulsory, with all adults aged twenty-one and above being granted. All congressmen are elected through popular vote (with a for all elected offices), however senators are appointed by the Prime Minister. The National Diet dissolved once every six years, with all its members applicable for term renewal.

The is headed by the Supreme Court. While it is the highest court in the country, it only has appellate jurisdiction over appeals cases relating to general and criminal law. The Constitutional Court has original jurisdiction surrounding any cases that involve constitutionality, having also additional powers on deciding cases regarding administrative legislation.

Monarchy
The Han royal status is passed through both  and  lines. He/she have constitutional limitations placed on their power. However, he/she is still granted privileges associated with the, including the right to declare war, negotiating and ratifying treaties (under the discretion of the Premier, of course), issue passports, and create or dissolve government offices. In addition, the monarch may exercise the act of assent (which is essential for bills from Parliament to pass) and the issuance of edicts. Wielding the crown, Han royalty also represents the embodiment of the Han people and their will; a concept that plays an instrumental role within Han nationalism.

The of Hani is the House of Li, which was established in by General Li Young, but it was forced to abdicate by the end of the Han–Sierran War in 1905. They were restricted under and were afterwards forcibly expelled, until anti-colonial movements manifesting in the Han Liberation War and the Hanyang Convention resulting in their reestablishment as the royal house. However, it was not until the end of the First Han Civil War that they had been officially coronated. The current monarch is Empress Li Meiyu, who is also its seventeenth sovereign. The designated royal residences is the Han Imperial Palace in Hanyang, though they own five other palaces, with other minor palaces previously under their ownership being designated as publicly-owned national sites.

Military capabilities
Hani wields the fourth-most powerful military in the world according to both the and the. It traditionally has been and, though the Second Cold War has prompted it to increase military intervention abroad. The national annual military budget comprises about three percent of its, with the prime focus being on the manufacturing of aircraft, missile, and naval technology. While it has signed the, it has newly developed nuclear weaponry and owns a small stockpile. However, this is used as a deterrent rather than a tactical weapon.

The Ministry of Defense and Public Security is responsible for the coordination of Hani's defence and military capabilities, and is based, with all federal government branches, in the Imperial district of Hanyang. The armed forces of Hani is divided into four branches; the Han People's Army, the Han People's Air Force, the Han People's Navy, and the Han People's Coast Guard, all of which are collectively known as the Han Crown Armed Forces. As the role of the is to embody state, the members of the Han military swear loyalty and allegiance to the monarch as well as the Han people.

Military service is a voluntary manner, but occurs during times of war. During times of war, all able-bodied and men between the ages of 20 and 22 are automatically drafted. Those who have moral objections may receive other options, such as being a medical personnel or engineer. As of today, Hani has over two million combined active military and reserve personnel. The reserve personnel of Hani predominantly consists of ex-conscripts with an obligation to undertake three days of training annually.

Foreign relations
It is the founding member of the League of Nations and is its most influential Southeast Asian member, even applying for. Hani is also active in other organisations, representing the interests of the Han people. It has membership in, but not limited to, the, the , the , the Trans-Pacific Allied Community, the , and holds observer status within the Conference of American States. Most embassies and diplomatic missions are in Hanyang and the areas surrounding it, though consulates are dispersed among Hani's major cities.

Hani also has military and defense pacts with nations, mostly with members of the Trans-Pacific Allied Community, though it, until the turn of the twenty-first century, has been largely in global military affairs. Even now, instead of participating directly in conflicts as a different side, it just sends aids that act under the wing of a separate polity.

Economy
Hani is designated as a highly, graduating from its status as a in the eighties. It has a strong, though it is prone to damage due to a recent strain in West–Han relations and regional instability. According to estimates from the, Hani's economy at stood at roughly $5.76 trillion whilst its economy at  stood at $4.9 trillion. This would make it ranked third and fourth globally according to which method is chosen. It is the largest economy within Southeast Asia, and the second-largest in Asia. A major economic power, it is a member of many economic organisations, including, , the ,  , and the the.

Hani's economy is driven by the production and exportation of high-tech precision goods such as, , , and , and is the world's third-largest exporter after China and Germany. Despite its wide-scale economic involvement in other regions, it is a well-known practicer of, placing high tariffs and has trading quotas on foreign imports to limit competition with domestically produced goods. It also practices some unfair trading practices, including to keep exports cheap. However, this does not stop it from being the fifth-largest importer as its economy relies on lots of, raw materials such as , , and to meet local food demands. Its main trading partners include members of the Conference of American States (mainly Sierra, and the United Commonwealth),, and the.

The Han is considered to follow the. It is a economy, with certain central sectors being fully  and publicly-owned. The secondary sector is dominated by privately-owned large-scale business conglomerates known as chanzu, which are similar to the of Korea and the  of Japan. Meanwhile, the tertiary sector is dominated by privately small to medium-sized corporations. The nationalized Han Central Bank is the sole legal bank, lowering or raising the national to control  and.

Economic history and growth
From its founding until the  in the late fifties, Hanyi operated under a strict  that pivoted around the policy of. However, during the sixties, the economic policy shifted to an model, which, coupled with unequal  policies promoted the. Two of the most critical and earliest reforms included the dismantlement of, and reorganization of many into privatized family-owned. Initially facing a severe lack of funds, the Han economy began to receive a massive inflow of reparations from Sierra following the normalization of foreign relations, as well as receiving direct-foreign investment from foreign companies.

Economic development was organized under five-year economic plans, which emphasized the development of the sector, including the steel, shipbuilding, automobile-manufacturing, and petrochemical industries. To facilitiate economic expansion, banks (which were nationalized and publicly-owned) handed out interest-free loans and cheap credit. It also included the expansion of human capital (especially education), basic infrastructure, and full efficient utilization of all available and idle resources. This led to a prolonged –referred to the Miracle on the Chuu River–which lasted well after the ousting of the repressive military junta. This period oversaw an average of seven percent economic growth, rapidly catapulting Hanyi into the status of a and a major.

The severity upon it was hit during revealed structural weaknesses in the Han economy, including the rigidity of central planning and a weak  system, as well as signalled a shift to -based growth. These problems manifested on the aftermath of the, while Hanyi avoided economic contraction, it did not escape an economic slump as the rate for economic expansion began to mature and slow amid troubles with a domestic credit troubles coupled with weakening international demand for its exports.

Labour
Workers' rights are both enshrined and entrenched in the Han Constituition, and as a result, Han labourers enjoy one of the highest working standards and wages within the region. The Han is at $7.5 every hour, or $15,000 annually, and with the exception of, receive benefits that include  and subsidised  for their children (if they have any).

are traditionally long; an excess of more than 1,800 hours annually (or eight hours per day), with the being from Monday to Friday. This long working time is a result of the government's attempt to facilitate economic expansion–despite increased and a decline in the –through heightened, higher employment, and the  of non-skilled labour. However, in response to several key problems brought by this long working period, the current administration has established a campaign that aims to lower working hours to 1,200 (a decrease of 1/3) hours a day within a 10-year transitionary period.

Many problems stem from the long working hours, including reported incidences of in which workers were pushed to suicide or heart attacks/strokes brought by stress, an issue also prevalent in nearby Korea,, and South Vietnam. It is also largely responsible for the country's low birth rate, prompting the government to introduce efforts to facilitate child rearing by subsidising child care services.

Currency
The Han chan (: 錢 or ¢; : HNC) is the of Hani. It is divided into zen by a ratio of 1/100, and further divided into mun by a ratio of 1/1,000. The chan is largely issued in the form of banknotes, with coins becoming increasingly obsolete due to their low value coupled with rising consumer prices. A result of Hanyi's miraculous economic expansion, the chan has emerged as the world's third-most traded currency in the foreign exchange market after the ($) and the  (€). A low and value has led to its candidacy as a potential global  and is currently going further  in case either dollar or the euro crashes.

Population


In 2012, the Han National Census Bureau has officially-counted a total of 149,075,917 residents, rising marginally to an estimated 151,121,525 residents in 2017; both the figures include and. The population is highly centralized on the island of Liusong, which is home to above a hundred million people, with three-quarters (about 78 million) residing within the. The largest ethnicity are the Hans which comprise roughly six-sevenths of the total population.

In addition, there are over three million (comprising almost three percent of the total population); the largest enclaves are found in the territories of Palawan, Buhuru, and Little Netherlands, with the rest evenly-dispersed among major cities. However, this is attributed to historical Sierran rather than recent immigration, as restrictive emigration policies have stalled repatriation attempts. Many eventually and became recognized as  permanent residents; albeit reduced to the legal status of. Due to the recent laxity and liberalization of immigration laws, there has been an influx of a second wave of migrants, most of which are either or  from mainland Asia.

and are determined through the policy of  (right of blood); under Han law, any person with at least one  of Han ancestry, regardless of place of birth and nationality can apply for citizenship. Introduced in the eighties, is typically reserved for foreign-born Hans that have resided within the country for a period of two years or more.

Vital statistics
In 1500, the archipelago had a recorded population of eight million, half of Japan's. Contemporary Hani has approximately almost twenty percent more people than Japan; with around 150 million people (almost a nineteen-fold increase) it is ranked globally, ahead of  but behind.

Hani has chronic issue regarding ; during much of the nineteenth century, it hovered between three to four births per woman. Even during the of the fifties, the fertility rate average was lower than the global average of five at the time. However, even this was higher than the, which, coupled with low death rates, yielded high population growth during the nineteenth and early twentieeth centuries. During the early sixties, the population growth rate was very favourable, at over two per cent per annum. However, as occurred, the situation reversed. During the fifties, the fertility rate was five births per woman, in 2009, it reached a mere 1.08 births per woman–the lowest recorded of any major country. Fortunately policies has raised the  to 1.55 births per woman by 2017; lower than the French but higher than either the Japanese or the Germans. The current growth rate is roughly 0.3 percent per annum, but is predicted to start to stabilize by the late 2020s.

The low birth rate and a high life expectancy (an average of 82.5 years in 2016) has also contributed to rapid, with the average age of a Han being forty years. About a tenth of Hans are elderly (being older than 65 years), but the proportion could rise to near 40 per cent by 2050. Hani has a high rate of (people 100 years old or older), with 47 centenarians per 100,000 people.

Language
The Han language is the and the  of Hani. Virtually all Hans have the ability to speak the said language (or its derivative varieties) and to write in the Hanji script with a high degree of fluency. Another twenty percent speak another. The official global regulatory body of the Han language is the, which governs the proper usage of the Han language.

is the second most prominent language as words of English origin are often incorporated into signs and media. While it is mandatory in secondary and postsecondary education, and most Hans have attained basic skills in English, its public usage is rather minimal. Other languages spoken within Hani are, , , , but these are largely restricted to ethnic groups of their origin.

Religious affiliation
According to its constitution, Hani is a with no officially-recognized ; instead it actively supports the  and guarantees the  of. The state legislature, the National Diet, is prohibited to pass any legislations regulating or promoting religious practices.

are the majority, comprising almost three-fourths (approximately seventy percent) of the population; it is a and pivots around a set of philosophical and ethical teachings developed by the philosopher. It is and, and its beliefs are based upon the notion that humans are fundamentally benevolent; perfectible through both personal and communal endeavour. is the second-largest faith, comprising seventeen percent of the population or constituting about twenty-five million adherents. While the three major branches–the, , and sects–each have a notable presence, the latter is the most predominant.

that have notable followings include and.

is the third-largest religion, comprising about eight percent of the total population or constituting about twelve million adherents. is the largest Christian denomination, succeded by the  and. is not mainstream, with the, , and the being the three largest Protestant churches. Church attendance rates are relatively high; with about two-thirds of registered Christians attending church on a weekly-basis, and virtually all attending on at least a monthly-basis.

is a plurality within the south, comprising about three percent of the total population, translating to about roughly four million adherents. Most Muslims are followers of the branch of the  sect.

The remaining two percent (or three million) have described themselves as either;, , , and/or.

Family structure and law
According to the government census, the majority of Hans are either married or (eighty-five percent). Two percent were, six percent were , and the remaining seven percent are currently not engaged in any sort of long-term relationship.

Family structure revolves around the deeply-rooted concept of a, and is treated as the second most important societal unit after the collective community. Hani is traditionally a society, and households are jointly-led by a  and  who exert similar levels of power. In the past, clans lived within the same proximity of each other, and the residents of each house represented up to four generations. However, urbanization has led to the growing irrelevance of clan relations, and the incidence of smaller families.

Marriage is traditionally described as a union between a man and a women, though the notion has been challenged recently by same-sex couples. Marriages revolving around, including (though relations between  are permitted in special cases), is strictly forbidden. is similarly outlawed and strictly-enforced laws regarding adultery and extramarital sexual affairs are in-place. All of these are classified as by federal law, with felons receiving up to  for breaking these offences.

Culture
Hani is, and thereby considered part of the. Historically, a multi-ethnic, multicultural, and multilingual region, a series of staunchly-enforced policies has led to a vastly heightened level of cultural uniformity. As a result of resistance to  (and introduced  or perceived immoral beliefs) and to counterbalance  or, there is a rooted perception of a   and , which rejects notions of  and , and strives for the stringent compliance to standard societal norms and expectations.

Han culture is often analyzed as staunchly (thus espousing a considerable degree of ),, and. The bulk of its beliefs stem heavily from, specifically the branch, a more secular form shedding spiritualistic elements adopted from  and. The ideology itself is based upon the notion that humans are inherently perfectible, with perfection being attainable through self-imposed or communal determination. Three main principles provide the underlying basis of Han culture. Firstly, the adherence to a strict moralistic and ethical code based on five revered virtues (collectively known as the Five Constants);, , , and. Secondly, promotion of societal order via the establishment of a explicitly-defined. And lastly, the emphasization of the four bonds (ruler to ruled, friend to friend, parent to child, and eldest to youngest).

In addition to the mainstream culture of Hani, there are various distinct subcultures, with the most prominent being the culture of Palawan, a specially-administered region which until recently, been a Sierran colony. Palawan culture is noticeably more heavily liberalized and cosmopolitan, as a result of with immigrants of other races and ethnicities.

Television and radio
Han mainstream media is dominated by three major broadcasting companies: the state-owned National Broadcasting Service (NBS), and the privatized Hanyang Arts Corporation (HAC) and Hibiscus Network Company (HNC). Around 120 million Hans are subscribed to a, , or other forms of television broadcasting. On average, a Han spends about two hours a day watching television programs (excluding time spent on computers, tablets, or other mobile devices). The number of hours is significantly higher among younger age cohorts, reaching as high as four hours among the 13–18 age group. Conversely, while the average Han only spends thirty minutes listening to, Hans use music-streaming services quite often with usage among younger Han reaching six hours.

Important genres of television include; and, , , and  and. have become quite popular in recent years as well, and the models sometimes put on entertaining acts during product pitches. There is frequent, and many foreign programs (notably Sierran television and ) are banned to air on public television, with those permitted often designated to occupy late time-slots.

Internet usage
Hani is a renowned world leader in internet connectivity and penetration, having the world's at twenty. It is the second country to achieve over fifty-percent broadband penetration per capita, and also to complete full conversion from to. Since its launch, Hani has consistently ranked within the top five for the. A poll conducted in 2014 showed that Hans spent approximately four hours online, additionally, according to a 2007 study, over ninety percent of Hans, or about 135 million people, utilize the internet on at least a weekly-basis.

The top level domain (cctld) for Hani is .hn, with the most popular websites in Hani (excluding and ) in 2013 being the social media sites Whistler and Sumi, alongside the video-streaming site Viewer. Mainstream Western sites including and  are seldom used, as much of their contents are either blocked (especially those critical of the regime) or unable to attract public attention.

Music
Until the eighties, conservative and  dominated the music scene. However, the relaxation of restrictions implemented upon cultural imports resulted in the emergence of contemporary Han popular music (otherwise known as H-pop). The nascent genre was heavily influenced by, , (including other derivative forms of ), ,  and. It is characterized by an abundance of audiovisual elements, performers and artists are typically part of a same-sex group (boy or girl bands) rather than being solo artists or duos.

The major music-recording companies in Hani are (listed in amount of revenue): Hanyang Entertainment (HYE), Southern Star Entertainment (SSE), and Chutsu Entertainment (CTE). Most music artists typically debut at a young age (ranging between sixteen to twenty-one), and undergo at least two years of vigorous training alongside their normal daily schedule.

Cosmetics and beauty standards
Han beauty standards are a distinctive part of Han culture, with Hanyi having the highest rate of cosmetic surgeries per capita. About a fifth of women aged 21–49 has had cosmetic surgery (with the most popular procedures being nose augmentation, jaw reduction, and rib removal), with men only comprising a tenth of clientele. Examples of Han beauty criteria include; a high-bridged nose, a small soft v-shaped face, double eyelids, and pale clear skin. Most of these features are thought to exemplify innocence and chastity.

It is a social norm for both and men to spend a lot on cosmetic products. Popular products include blemish balm creams, colour correction creams, essences, serums, exfoliating scrubs, and facial masks (which are intended to serve a lot of purposes). Many Han beauty products contain ingredients that are not included in Western products; including, tea tree oil, green tea extract, and snail cream. In addition to cosmetic products, beauty is said to be achievable through certain dietary or therapeutic practices, which are largely derived or influence from Chinese traditional medicine or local animist tradition.

Cuisine and dining
Han cuisine has evolved over several centuries from its humble origins to become highly, incorporating numerous (particularly the regional cuisine found in  and ),  and  elements that had been adapted to local ingredients and palate.

Dining is traditionally considered an important social activity that reinforces familial relations. are seldom used, and instead dishes are consumed with the use of, or when consuming the liquid contents of soups or stew, a. Main course dishes are typically eaten with a variety of side-dishes, with confectionaries or sweet-drinks concluding meals. may be ingested during meals, with or  consumed casually, while  reserved for formal settings.

Similar to other Asian countries, rice enjoys status as the staple grain and formulates the basis of a standard Han diet. Pork, beef, and chicken alongside seafood are the most heavily consumed meats, although Han cuisine readily uses any edible meats; including entrails, offal, and molluscs. Fruits including mangoes, bananas, avocados, and dragonfruit are rarely added into dishes, and instead consumed separately raw, while vegetables are typically boiled or stewed prior to consumption.

Seasoning is used heavily to add flavours; for example, garlic is used to enrich the taste and mask the scent of dishes using entrails, while coconut milk and peppers are used in creamy dishes. Spices commonly used are ginger, chili peppers, and powedered black pepper. Other seasonings include soy sauce, oyster sauce, vinegar, salt, sugar, and rice wine. With the exception of coriander and spring onions, which are merely used as, there is little to no usage of.