Drakemark

The 'Union of Drakemark (Swedish: Union av Drakemark, commonly just Drakemark) is a sovereign state located in the South Pacific Ocean. Drakemark is an island nation composed of two main islands and several hundred smaller ones, located throughout the Pacific Ocean.

Drakemark is a unitary parliamentary democracy with a constitutional monarchy. The nation's monarchy is derived from that of Sweden's, which first colonized the modern day nation state's territory in 1639. The monarch is the head of state, the prime minister is the head of government, and the parliament is the national legislature. All central administrative positions of the government are elected publicly every six years by direct, runoff elections. The parliament is responsible for the creation and amendment of laws and enactments, and it also has the ability to officiate certain decisions of the prime minister. The prime minister is responsible for the administration and enforcement of law and services which have been given royal approval by the monarchy. The responsibilities and actions of the government are outlined in the national constitution, of which the current government was first introduced in 1787. Drakemark was given the right of self determination by the Parliament of Sweden in 1902, and the fully sovereign peoples of the nation chose to retain the Swedish monarchy as the official symbol and head of the state.

The economy of Drakemark is highly diversified and considered to be post industrial despite the continued presence of a strong manufacturing industry. Drakemark's large natural quantities of gold, iron, and coal proved for an early industrialization, with the country's population surpassing its colonial homeland in 1860. The sustainability of modern industry has allowed for Drakemark to remain a strong industrial nation with a positive-leaning trade balance with other developed nations and developing markets. The largest industries in Drakemark in 2013 were industrial manufacturing, commercial manufacturing, food processing, and textile manufacturing. The country maintains an efficient balance of exporting finished consumer and industrial goods while importing a variety of raw goods that it cannot produce. The government heavily regulates certain industries in a policy of "public before profit", a model of government intervention which has allowed for a more diversified government income and a generally low cost of living while disallowing massive foreign economic competition. Drakemark is considered to maintain a mixed market socialist economy with government regulation to a certain extent.

Drakemark is a politically neutral and left leaning country which maintains all around warm foreign relations and a policy of defensive economic and military development. Drakemark maintains strong relations with its closest neighbours, Australia, Indonesia Japan, the Philippines, Taiwan, South Korea, Chile, and Peru, while also keeping a strong political bond with its former colonizer, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. Significant formal relations are also maintained with most nations of significant interest, including, but not limited to, Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, the United States, Canada, India, China, Russia, France, Italy, and Germany. Drakemark is a member of the United Nations, the World Trade Organization, the Pacific Forum, and the Indian-Pacific Economic Community.

Etymology
Drakemark is a Swedish word meaning "Land of Dragons" which comes from the combination of the words Drake, meaning dragon, and mark, meaning land of. The name was given to the islands by the Swedish explorer Mikael Gustav Skjolander in 1633, who mistook the islands for the Dutch explored Indonesian island chain, which were home to the Komodo Dragon. Nonetheless, when Skjolander visited Indonesia on his return trip to Sweden, he noticed the mistake, but did not correct the name. From that point on, the name was used in government documents during the territories initial colonization. The name was made official in 1648, when the government of Sweden officially recognized the existence and under took the administration of the Colony of Drakemark. When the nation gained full sovereignty from the Swedish government in 1902, the constitution gave the country the official name of the Union of Drakemark, which was given due to the institution of a unitary government.

Discovery and colonization
The presence of the islands now known as Drakemark were first inhabited by the Maori Polynesian people who settled on the islands around 1250 to 1300. The peoples developed a unique and isolated culture which remained strong until direct contact with European explorers. Nonetheless, the original native population was completely decimated and made extinct due to disease, with the last Maori peoples dying from 1780 to 1795.

The first European explorer to visit the islands was Mikael Gustav Skjolander in 1633, who did so at the sponsorship of the Swedish monarchy to discover a place to establish a Swedish trading post in the Indian Ocean trade network. Skjolander named the islands Drakemark, and described it as a venerable paradise with ample grazing lands and warm coast lines. When Skjolander returned to Sweden in the middle of 1634, he encouraged the government to outfit a large colonization force which would permanently inhabit the islands as a vassal state of Sweden, with him as the first governor of the colony. The Swedish government permitted the request at the belief that it would become an important and powerful territory in the future. An estimated 10,000 Swedes settled the islands between 1635 and 1645, with the first and most important centre of colonial life on the island being the city of Kristinasburg, named in honour of the Swedish queen at the time. The Swedish settlement at Kristinasburg originally was supposed to serve as a trading point for goods of Swedish origin, however, by the time the government recognized the settlement as a colony of Sweden, the city had grown to the purpose of colonists seeking a new land to settle and inhabit in the name of Sweden. Swedish administrators recognized this, and began to encourage the further settlement of the islands in order to establish unchallenged Swedish power in the region.

In 1650, at the first census, the population of the colony was recorded to be at 65,430 inhabitants, making it Sweden's most valuable non-adjacent territorial assets. Various settlements were established across the islands throughout the later half of the 17th century, notably, Karlsburg, Långata, and Böjhamn. The early economic composition of the islands was focused around the grazing of sheep and cattle and the export of wool and leather in order to procure a profit. The cattle and sheep industries were most prominent on Norr Island, whereas on Söder Island agriculture became much more prominent, especially the growth of cotton crops and the export of textiles. Drakemark became a famous centre of fashion as the surplus production of cotton, wool, and leather allowed for the development of early textile manufacturing and the sale of designer clothing. As the population continued to climb, reaching 100,000 by 1710, the Swedes on the island became famous for their production of such goods, and the trading volume coming from the colony's ports began to massively profit the Swedish government.

Rapid growth and industrialization
In the 1720s and 1730s, immigrants from other Northern European countries began to settle in Drakemark at the invitation of the government. The majority of the new settlers were Norwegians, though Danes, Germans, and the Dutch also made significant contributions to the islands' settlement. The new colonists kept their old traditions for some time, but by the 1770s, most had adopted Swedish as their mother language. The census recorded that in 1780, the population had surpassed one million people, and the fast growth of the population due to both immigration and natural growth had a positive effect on the growth of both agricultural and urban settlements. The gentle policies of the Swedish government allowed for the unrestricted growth of the population, and the decimation of the native population also left new settlements with relatively few threats. The Swedish parliament expanded local governance in the colony to allow for the self administration of law enforcement officials and the further inwards development of the colony. The discovery of gold deposits in 1810 also caused another immigration rush, and in 1812, the colonial government began to limit the further immigrant growth of the population so that it would of largely Swedish decent and habitat.

When large deposits of coal were found throughout the island during the 1850s, the nation, with its already discovered deposits of iron sand, began to experience mass industrialization. Instead of exporting the raw goods to Sweden, the Swedish government let the industrialization occur on the islands without restriction. This action, combined with rapid industrialization and mass urban movement, forced the local government to allow for immigration to continue, and in 1860, the colony's population of around ten million people surpassed that of Sweden, which at the time was around four million. Drakemark soon became a major exporter of industrial materials, textiles, and other consumer goods. The massive economic expansion gave the colony enormous wealth, and the development of a new class structure left some more conservative Swedish officials angry at the nation's Parliament for not implementing greater control over their single colony. The industrialization of the country combined with the inherit social values of politeness, hospitality, and a sense of community led to the development of a largely socialist population. The enormous wealth of industrial profit is considered to have been "distributed equally" among the peoples of the colony through government policy, and many industrial companies were soon heavily regulated and mostly controlled by the colonial government.

Independence and early statehood
The continued prosperity of the colony throughout the later half of the 19th century left some question to the institution of the Swedish government over that of the local government. While most citizens were still conscious and accepting of Swedish foreign rule, some declared that Drakemark would be much better off as a sovereign nation state. The Swedish government was able to facilitate the outwards growth of the colony when it claimed a large amount of Pacific Islands in its name, though after the Treaty of Sydney was signed with the British government, the central Swedish government could claim no more territory for the colony without first receiving approval from the British. Some more radical members of Drakish society called into the question the continued ability of the Swedish government to properly administer the foreign affairs of their adopted homeland. The population surpassed twenty million in 1890, putting the colony at an easy ability to rebel militarily from Sweden. However, most did not wish to directly cut all ties to their cultural homeland. Resultant, the peoples of the colony began to request self determination from the Parliament of Sweden. After several years of negotiations between colonial officials and members of the Swedish government, the right to self determination was left to the people of the colony. A national vote held in 1902 left the official head of state as the Monarch of Sweden, while all other administration processes would be left to the domestic government and the Monarch would simply approve the actions of the Drakish legislature through royal assent.

The new government took a strong hold of economic growth and the administration of industrialization in the nation, adopting policies which would benefit the public as a whole as opposed to benefiting the profits of singular individuals. The docile, polite, and hospital nature of the population allowed for the government to take near direct control of national domestic companies and industry, with monopolies being organized over certain industries to permit large scale public benefit and the further development of social services. With these new changes, Drakemark became one of the world's first and most prominent welfare states, with foreign economic intervention being discouraged due to large scale government regulation of the economy. Most exports were targeted at Australia, the United States, and several South American nations, and from these nations, Drakish companies would import certain raw materials not available within Drakish territories. The profits then made would go to both the company and the government if the government was directly involved in that company's administration system. This policy permitted Drakemark to develop an economic presence across the Indian and Pacific Oceans, with only a fraction of its trade entering into competing European ports.

Periods of global conflict
As nationalism began to spread around the world, World War I erupted after a series of political events in Europe unfolded. Officially, Drakemark was neutral, as was Sweden, though the presence of the Japanese military assets in the Pacific posed perceived threats to the Drakish economy, and thus, its society. In order maintain a military readiness, Drakemark undertook the opportunities of German negligence of its colonies, and seized their Pacific and East African colonies whilst cooperating with British and Japanese forces. With the end of the war, many German possessions were transferred to the United Kingdom, though the new Pacific holdings were integrated into the Drakish territory at large. The outbreak of World War II saw tensions with Japan reach their highest, though the neutrality of Sweden in the conflict did not permit Drakemark to properly act in the conflict. The Monarch of Sweden even refused a declaration of war against Japan that was passed by the Drakish Parliament, that being the one instance where the Monarch did not grant royal assent to a Drakish enactment. Tensions thusly remained high with Japan, and Drakemark simply supplied Allied forces in the Pacific with material aide, knowing that direct action against Japan would result in a German invasion of Sweden. When Japan was beaten back during the war, the Drakish government acquired territories that were liberated by American forces, greatly Drakish prominence throughout the Southern Pacific.

The Cold War was also a conflict of interest for the Drakish government, which attempted to maintain complete neutrality in the conflict. However, several instances were Sweden did not maintain a fully socialist government prompted the Drakish government towards alignment with the capitalist-led NATO, although Drakemark maintained a wholly socialist mixed market. Throughout the Cold War, Drakemark's economy continued to thrive through Pacific-based trade, as routes throughout the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean gave way to extended industrial development and financial expansion throughout the national economy. As a monument to continued growth, the Skjolander Strait Bridge was completed in 1982, and it is still regarded as a symbol of Drakish resilience and ingenuity to this day, being the world's longest suspension bridge and one of the world's most ambitious public works projects ever undertaken.

Renewed stability
With the end of the Cold War, Drakemark was a recognized as a premier world power, with significant military, political, and economic strength that spanned throughout the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic Oceans. As Drakemark survived as a neutral nation throughout the Cold War and both World Wars, it was noticed as having significant credibility, which is reflected in the modern population as a hospitable, polite, and tolerant people. Drakemark maintains a strong economy and political system which has allowed for its credible and beneficial economic development to spread into developing countries in the Pacific and Indian Oceans. Although it is a recognized world power, Drakemark maintains a policy of neutrality in foreign interests, and has remained peaceful and largely unaffected by recent world economic and political tensions. The nation has adopted policies of sustainable development and openly funds the research of medical, telecommunications, and other technologies which benefit the peoples of both Drakemark and the world as a whole. As a result of intense government funding, Drakemark is a world leader in technological progress, which positively benefits its status as a world economic and political power.

Politics
Drakemark is a unitary parliamentary democracy with a constitutional monarchy. The monarch is the head of state, and as of 2014, that monarch is. The monarchy of Drakemark is concurrent with the monarchy of Sweden, as the two nations share a head of state for historical, cultural, and ceremonial reasons, while the political implications have largely been left behind with the development of democratic states across the world. Drakemark's democracy is based off a system in which the legislature, known as the Parliament, seen as the most prominent representation of the public in government, holds the most power within the government. As outlined within the constitution, the Parliament holds the power to control the government, while the Prime Minister and the Cabinet are responsible for the enforcement and administration of policies of governance. The constitution is seen as the outline to how the government should operate, and the constitution's power is backed by the power of the monarch in that the government operates within the respect of the monarch's power. Thusly, the power of the government to rule is based upon the right of the monarch as the head of state, and therefore, all power within the government derives from the monarch and is controlled by the Parliament, that being the representation of the populace as a whole.

Government
The Prime Minister is the head of government and the leader of the group of national administration units known as the Cabinet. The Cabinet is composed of the Ministries, lead by Ministers, and the Ministers of each Ministry, along with the Prime Minister, are elected by a direct, run-off style election every six years. The actions of the executive, which consists of the Prime Minister and the Cabinet, are limited to those approved by the Parliament, and the executive may only act without the consent of the Parliament in times were emergency are approved for use by the Parliament and the Monarch. The Prime Minister is responsible as a whole for the administration and leadership of the Cabinet and also serves as the Commander-in-the-Chief of the Armed Forces in times of war or attack. The Cabinet is charged with the administration and efficient organization of the services which the government provides to the people, and deal with areas of governance relating to welfare, infrastructure, commerce, law, foreign affairs, domestic affairs, and defense through separate Ministries. All power in the executive is derived from the Prime Minister, who acts as the sole representative of the people's administration with the approved respect of the monarch. Thus, the power is derived from the people which is then approved by the monarch as an effective method of administration.

The Parliament is the unicameral legislature of the people, the sole representation of the public views towards governance, and the single most powerful organ of government with power derived from the monarchy. The Parliament is responsible for the creation, implementation, amendment, and regulation of laws, enactments, and constitutional amendments. All bills of the Parliament must be granted approval by the monarch, through royal assent, before they become law or policy which can be enforced through the executive. The Parliament is made up of representatives known as Members of Parliament who are elected every two years through locality based, direct, run-off elections. Members of Parliament have the ability to join political parties in order to consolidate votes of a certain philosophy in order to simplify the process of Parliamentary choice, though no Member is subject to the direct consolidation of their vote by their political party. In order for a bill to be considered for royal assent and thus implementation, the legislation must have a half or more majority of the Parliament's support, at which it will then be given to the monarch for their approval. There has only been one instance of the monarch rejecting a proposal which had majority support, that being a 1941 declaration of war against Japan. All policies of the Parliament stem from public submission of certain issues which citizens believe must are susceptible for change or creation within the political system.

The political composition of Drakemark is considered to be wholly leftist and mostly socialist in governance. Drakemark is unique for having a largely homogeneous population of people who believe in political systems which are considered to be close to one another. As a result, the government is seen as liberal, socialist, and somewhat unchanging in its structure. Policies of socialism have existed for as long as the nation as been sovereign, and government institutions which permit public welfare and regulation of the economy are also widely supported and have existed for the majority of the government's existence. This profoundly singular and unchanging political composition is considered to be a feature of the mostly docile, caring, and contempt population that values minimalism, organization, community, and freedom. As a result, about 67% of the nation's voting population are members of the Democratic Socialist Party, 19% are members of the Leftist Moderate Party, and 8% are members of the Contemporary Party. The remaining 6% of the voting population is registered as independent, though a large portion of these people vote for nominees who are apart of parties. The nonexistence of an opposition party by public choice is considered to be a rarity in political studies, and a poll taken in 2013 revealed that about 99.8% of the population was pleased with the current structure and functionality of the government.

Law and justice
Drakemark maintains a singular system based off of common law, in which criminal offenses are declared by government statute and the subsequent enforcement of these statutes, after physical enforcement by officers of the Domestic Police Force, is decided upon by judges. The punishment for offenses is thus developed by a panel of judges in a court of law after a combination of precedence, statute, and common sense employ the punishment for an offense which has been committed. The severity of a case from which the precedence and statute is taken is classified by a system of legal levels of which offenses are ranked. Class I offenses are considered to be the least demanding of resources while Class V offenses are considered to be the most severe and heinous of crimes. All judgement made under certain classes have minimal sentences which must be enforced depending on the severity of the crime. The verdict of guilt for the defendant is explained and created by the panel of judges who are also responsible for its enforcement and subsequent punishment. The panel is composed of five judges who specialize in their specific classification of crime, and each judge is thoroughly tested for any prejudices that may effect the outcome of their decisions.

Criminal punishments are carried out by the Ministry of Law under the provision that the accused has been tried fairly in a court of law. Class I and Class II criminal offenses are typically characterized by short jail time sentences, a fine, community service, or a combination of those depending on the severity of the crime. Class I criminals may serve no sentence longer than six months, while Class II criminals may serve a sentence no longer than two years. Class III criminals serve minimal sentences of five years in incarceration, along with a hefty fine and an amount of community service which is considered to be just based upon the crime they have committed. Class IV criminals serve a minimal sentence of ten years in incarceration, and based upon the crime they have committed, are eligible for the death penalty. Class V criminals serve a minimum sentence of thirty years in incarceration, and are eligible for the death penalty and more likely to receive such a penalty based upon the crime they have committed. While they are considered to be criminals, persons who have committed a crime are still citizens and are still entitled to their basic rights as such. If a convicted person were ever wrongfully punished, then it is considered a violation of their constitutional rights.

While Drakemark does maintain an efficient and large system of law enforcement and justice, crimes of Class III are rare to occur, with only 7 reported instances in 2013. The vast majority of offenses committed in 2013, some 99%, were of Class II or lower classification. The low crime rate of Drakemark is determined to be a trait of cultural affair rather than a successful system of law enforcement and criminal deterrent, as the majority of crimes committed in 2013 involved persons not of direct Drakish decent. The practice of the cultural values and virtues of stoicism and docility are considered to be the most influential crime deterrents of Drakish society.

Defense and foreign affairs
Drakemark maintains a combined armed forces known as the Armed Forces, which are responsible for the maintenance of defensive measures against foreign aggression. The Armed Forces are composed of three specialty branches from which are organized the specific areas of defensive coordination with which Drakemark can utilize. The Armed Forces have a total of 145,020 active service members and 374,600 reserve service members who operate in three branches of national defense: the Land Force, the Maritime Force, and the Aerospace Force. The formal military forces are constitutionally liable for the protection of the people and their rights before the protection of all else. The nation maintains military defensive pacts with Sweden, Denmark, Norway, and Australia in order to insure that attacking Drakemark would be extremely costly to an attacker, though these pacts do not represent any sort of political alignment and simply exist for the maintenance of the security of each nation it maintains a pact with. Drakemark has never activated its armed forces in order to wage war, and the constitution maintains that the armed forces cannot be used in a way to promote the militarization of the public and jeopardize the general safety of any region. Drakemark is a prolific neutral nation, and has only had historically aggressive relations with nations who were militarized and posed a direct threat to the Drakish society.

While it is nonaligned, Drakemark maintains a policy of warm relations with other nations across the world while preferring to remain neutral from major areas of conflict. The nation maintains relations with a large amount of sovereign states across the world, and with those it does not maintain a direct connection, Drakemark has a formal envoy at the United Nations dedicated to services between those specific nations and itself. The friendliest relations extend to the neighbouring countries of Drakemark, those being Australia, Indonesia Japan, the Philippines, Taiwan, South Korea, Chile, and Peru. Along with its neighbouring country, Drakemark also maintains strong relations with Sweden and the United Kingdom, the former of which with it shares a common head of state. Drakemark is a founding member of the United Nations, the Pacific Forum, and the Indian-Pacific Economic Community. The country is also a member of the World Trade Organization, the International Monetary Fund, the United Nations Security Council, the G10, the G20, and the World Economic Forum. Drakemark is also an observer of the European Council and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

Subdivisions
Drakemark is divided into provinces, which serve only administrative purposes and do not have any special political powers of their own. A province is then divided into counties, which is further divided into municipalities. The degeneration of these units serves only to simplify and organize the national police service, public services, infrastructure, elections, post codes, telephone codes, and localities. Otherwise, they have no special powers of administration and are bound to the unitary central government through the constitution. There are __ provinces, ___ counties, and ____ municipalities.

Economy
The economy of Drakemark is the world's fourth largest by nominal GDP and the world's fifth largest by purchasing power parity. The national economy is considered to be mixed market socialist, with major industrial and financial power derived from a natural abundance of coal, iron, and gold resources. The large scale distribution of wealth, driven by government regulation within the economy, has permitted for the nation to have one of the world's lowest Gini coefficients. High taxes and advanced social services provided by the government at no cost other than taxes and regulation has created a standard of highly complex and large scale economic devices being driven by the government for the general benefit of the public as opposed to the gain of singular individuals at the head of large enterprises. Regulations on imports and the large volume sale of exports has created a beneficial trade surplus for Drakemark, with the vast majority of exports creating large profit volumes for the small cost of importing raw materials. Advanced industrial practices involving robotics, sustainability methods, and energy efficiency has also improved living and working conditions while still allowing for industry to thrive. Tertiary economic practices, such as finance, entertainment, and retail, have also benefited from the highly industrialized society, with nearly 82% of all retail consumer goods sold in Drakemark originating from a local industrial production facility. However, because of a highly urbanized society focused around secondary and tertiary economic practices, primary economic activities are low in their usage and location throughout the nation, with the vast majority of raw materials being imported from foreign supplies, mainly Australia, South Africa, Mozambique, Kenya, Chile, Peru, and Argentina.

The heavy government regulation and the control of certain industries considered to be essential to state economic security has led to negative perceptions of the Drakish economy from some foreign governments, especially the United States. While most of its criticism came throughout the Cold War, some prominent politicians have made claims that the government Drakemark has complete control over the entirety of the economy and that the citizens of the nation live in poverty among other poor conditions. This, however, is incorrect, and commonly seen by most prominent Drakes as a result of half a century of Soviet fear campaigns instituted by the United States government throughout the Cold War. Nonetheless, the result is significantly lower trade with the American economy, making Drakemark one of few global economies which does not have heavy economic dependence upon the United States. Over 50% of exports are directed towards Asia, particularly India, Indonesia, Australia, Thailand, and the Philippines. 15% of exports go to Africa, such as Kenya, South Africa, Madagascar, and Mozambique. Another 15% of exports are directed towards Latin America, particularly Chile, Argentina, Peru, Bolivia, Colombia, and Mexico. A remaining 10% of exports are directed towards Canada, the European Union, Russia, and the United States.

Drakemark maintains trading agreements with many Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean based nations in an organization known as the Indian-Pacific Economic Community. The community allows for the free trade of goods from any country to another without regulation or tariffs. Another feature of the community serves to further the development of generally poorer nations by contributing towards the funding of public works projects which would bolster the economy of the nation where the project was being undertaken. The community has allowed for the large scale profitability of Drakish exports while also developing the markets receiving those exports. The absence of tariffs or quotas within the organization has also permitted the nations to trade with each other without serious procedures to limit trade being undertaken, allowing for Drakemark to import raw materials at low costs and export both development and finished goods to markets it originally received its materials from. The existence of the community has drastically improved the quality of life in several African and Latin American countries, with the spread of telecommunications, medical supplies, and infrastructural materials at reduced costs facilitating quicker development.

Industry and commerce
While the economy of Drakemark is considered to be post-industrial and highly modernized, secondary economic activities continue to represent a significantly large portion of the economy. Through advanced industrial and manufacturing processes, Drakemark is able to maintain a strong and efficient industrial manufacturing sector of its economy. The manufacturing industry is the single most important sector of the Drakish economy, allowing for the export of high quality consumer and industrial goods along with domestic retail sale in order to create profits which also allow for low prices from the consumers, both domestic and international. Steel and other metal alloy production, motorized product manufacturing, infrastructural goods production, industrial materials manufacturing, technological component and product manufacturing, textile and clothing production, food processing, shipbuilding, automobile manufacturing, airplane manufacturing, motorcycle manufacturing, and building material manufacturing represent the largest industries of the diversified Drakish industrial market. On average, an estimated 61% of all items produced within Drakemark are exported, making the profitability of the Drakish economy entirely based upon its export of finished goods. Government regulation and control over industry has also led to the development and maintenance of sustainable practices of manufacturing and the efficient use of raw materials at the cost of lower profit margins. In order to maintain profitability, most companies export around two thirds of their production volume to foreign markets.

A result of large export and imports, natural abundance of gold, and the presence of large scale, high volume industrial faculties has led to the development of a strong financial presence in the nation. There are three nationally used stock markets, an abundance of financial institutions backed by government control, and a large government backed gold reserve which is considered to be the world's fourth largest and one of the most secure. The value of the Drakish currency, the kronor, is backed by public gold reserve and as a result of a stable constant value, it is the world's fourth most traded currency, after the dollar, the euro, and the yen. The largest and most respected financial institution in Drakemark is the Bank of Långata, which is also the oldest financial institution and bank in Drakemark.

Infrastructure
The national energy consumption of Drakemark is created from 83% clean coal sources, 11% petroleum trapping sources, 3% hydroelectric sources, 2% wind sources, and a remaining 1% comes from tidal generation sources. The use of coal power has been optimized to be highly efficient through the production of coal coke and the use of zero emissions technologies to greatly reduce pollution from power generation plants while increasing their output. Petroleum power is generated in the same fashion, however, its emissions are trapped in disused underground areas cleared by mining and through high pressure maintenance of areas of emission. The mixed renewable energy sources are slowly being integrated into the energy market of Drakemark through the gradual closure of fossil fuel plants and being replaced through several new methods of clean, localized electricity production. It is estimated that by 2025, fossil fuels will only make up a combined percentage of 20% of all energy production with the current economic demographic growth rates. Fossil fuels are to be completely phased out by 2045 and replaced with a combination of wind, solar, hydroelectric, and tidal generation facilities.

Road and rail networks in Drakemark are highly integrated, centrally organized, and receive expansive amounts of funding from the government. A poll taken in 2013 claimed that 33% of all adult Drakish citizens used a car for transportation around their locality, while a percentage of 67% said that they used local rail and bus transportation networks. The high density urban environment in which most Drakes live makes it less compatible for an automobile to be used a transportation around localities, however, in 2014, some 72% of all adults claimed posession of a personal vehicle, most using it for travelling longer distances and some using it for transportation around a locality. Nonetheless, both road and rail networks in Drakemark are highly developed and receive large amounts of funding from the government in order to maintain their systems. Norr and Söder Islands are connected by the Skjolander Strait Bridge, the longest suspension bridge in the world, which spans about 11 miles over the strait from which it is named. Nearly all international passenger connections are undertaken by air transportation, and commercial connections are largely made up sea trade routes.

Demographics
The population of Drakemark according to the 2012 census was 134,162,644, and the estimated population as of 2014 is 134,270,060, indicating an annual change rate of 0.08%. Drakemark's population is mixed almost entirely through even patterns of age due to population count stability which was achieved in the 1970s. The slowly growing population has reached this stage due to the total expansive use of Drakish natural resources and its ability to function as an import-export economy. It is because of this economic balance that demographers believe that Drakemark is one of the first human nation states to reach its population cap, and thus, its population decreases and increases gradually in a balance of age distribution, death rate, and birth rate. As of 2012, the average life expectancy was 83.47, one of the world's highest combined averages.

Immigration has been relatively small since the 1940s, due to the high density and inability of further settlement of the country. The population is also very homogeneous, with 69% of persons being derived of direct Swedish decent. Minorities are indistinguishable from the Swedish majority due to the physical likeness of the Germanic peoples who inhabit the nation. As a result, 81% of citizens identify as Drakes, persons of Drakish ethnicity, while the remaining 19% identify themselves as Swedes. As of 2012, the population was composed of 52% females and 48% males.

Language
As of 2012, 100% of citizens were fluent in the national language of Swedish. Swedish was the de facto language of the colony under the direct administration of the Swedish government, and when non-Swedes settled in the colony, a facet of citizenship was to become proficient in the Swedish language. As a result, Swedish is now the national language and the mother tongue of all Drakes, with the language being taught in schools, used in government institutions, and made official de facto in the nation's constitution. 100% of the population is able to read and write in Swedish, and a further 100% of the population chooses to use Swedish as their everyday language. The learning and proficiency of the Swedish language is still a requirement for citizenship, and the usage of Swedish as the national language has influenced its existence in areas where it would otherwise not be present, mainly among merchants in Peru, Australia, and Kenya. Some 45% of citizens are proficient in a second language, while a further 38% are proficient in three or more languages. The most popular second languages are English, Japanese, and Spanish, which account for more than 95% of all second languages,

Religion
Drakemark enjoys full religious freedom as per action of the constitution, in which no religion is barred from public worship and no religion is mandated as the official state religion. However, fore ceremonial, historical, and traditional purposes, the Lutheran Church of Drakemark is recognized as the official church of the monarchy in the nation, though this has no political implications and only exists for reasons of tradition. A significant feature of Drakish society is its low religious tendency, with only 23% of citizens at most claiming that they are a follower of a certain religion. Despite the policy of religious freedom, only one church exists within Drakemark, the Lutheran Church, and all persons of religious belief are followers of this church. 54% of citizens claim that they are irreligious, 18% of the population is agnostic or has belief in some spiritual presence but does not adhere to a specific religion, and a remaining 5% of the population is atheist. Drakemark is one of the least religious societies in the world, though certain holidays stemming from religious belief, such as Christmas, are still practiced by nearly every citizen due to their traditional importance in Drakish culture. Some citizens who do not adhere to any specific religion also attend church services on traditionally religious based holidays as a gesture of recognition for their past and culture.

Largest cities

 * Krok Metropolis – Combined: 33,200,000
 * Långata – 13,870,000
 * Stenkirch – 10,019,000
 * Härd – 6,300,000
 * Guldmalm – 2,006,000
 * Trädgårda – 1,005,000
 * Sundet Metropolis – Combined: 32,340,000
 * Böjhamn – 8,050,000
 * Karlsburg – 7,120,000
 * Skjal – 5,600,000
 * Hedesala – 5,230,000
 * Guttestam – 3,500,000
 * Fasteburg – 2,840,000
 * Kapital Metropolis – Combined: 18,030,000
 * Kristinasburg – 6,890,000
 * Eden – 6,450,000
 * Königkorsa – 3,460,000
 * Jungstrand – 1,230,000
 * Kalmar Metropolis – Combined: 14,445,000
 * Bluff – 7,330,000
 * Carolge – 4,019,00
 * Svartalm – 2,005,000
 * Tasklar – 1,020,000
 * Eksland Metropolis – Combined: 10,075,000
 * Dyn – 4,360,000
 * Uppsburg – 3,670,000
 * Talmaska – 2,045,000
 * Ull Metropolis – Combined: 6,180,000
 * Tör – 3,560,000
 * Snurrastad – 1,600,000
 * Alvorsburg – 1,020,000

Welfare
Drakemark is a welfare state with a large array of universal and no cost social services for the use by the general public. While most services are funded through taxes, taxation does not provide the funds needed for every service, and thus, through government enterprise in certain industries, a profit is created from certain businesses which then is put into social services. Services provided by the government are extensive and are provided to citizens with no direct cost of usage. Services include power, water, electricity, garbage, healthcare, education, and postage. Further services are provided at no expense, but they are only provided to citizens who cannot acquire these items on their own. These services are also investigated for fraud, should it be found that a citizen is abusing subsidies provided by spending them on nonessential items or outright abusing the services by taking subsidies when they do not need them. These services include housing, food subsidies, fuel subsidies, clothing subsidies, and unemployment subsidies. Overall, extensive government services funded in part by government enterprise has allowed for much more expensive and efficient services to be provided to the general public. Government enterprise has also allowed for the funding of subsidies towards imports and logistics, which dramatically reduces the cost of living throughout the nation, in some areas by as much as 80%.

Healthcare and education
Healthcare in Drakemark is universal, high quality, and efficient. The nation maintains a public health service that includes local clinics, regional hospitals depending on the density of an area, and emergency response services which range from ground to air transportation for those in need depending on their condition. Paired with an efficient network of local health centres, the fast response times of the emergency services have allowed for a much more effective healthcare service as a whole. Drakemark is also a world leader in health science and medical research, a feature which is displayed through its systematically advanced and high quality institutions of healthcare service and state of the art condition management and recovery systems. The government allocates large sums of funding towards emergency response, the service, and research, allowing for research to benefit all citizens as a whole and for certain basic medical essentials to remain low in cost and distribution. Drakemark maintains one of the worlds most efficient and effective public healthcare systems. The nation also has a high quality of life, high average life length, and low mortality rate as a result.

Education in Drakemark is universal, of high quality, and mandatory from the ages of five to sixteen. The nation's government maintains a daycare service for children aged two to five whose parents cannot personally care for their children during the workday after the first two years of life, although it is not required nor does it act as an introductory programme for primary education. The first schooling phase is called Primary school, in which children aged five to twelve learn basic introductions to math, science, and language while also learning Drakish history and participating in special classes focused around physical education, music, art, computing, and theatre. Secondary school is for children aged twelve to sixteen and becomes much more vocational based upon the skills of a child. Many programmes are available within secondary school and all serve to introduce and expand the topics of each student based upon what they excell in. The only mandatory classes in secondary school are world history and ethics, and otherwise, the classes of an individual student may vary depending on what they chose. After completing secondary school, there are three options available for students; preparatory college for university, tertiary school, or vocation based apprenticeship. Around 73% of students chose to continue into university, which is free for citizens. Of those who enter into many of the fully funded universities, around 78% finish their required classes for graduation with an associate or bachelors degree.

Housing and utilities
The government of Drakemark supplies free housing to citizens who need shelter, with a process existing for the residence of a citizen within a public housing block from simple government shelter. There are three types of public housing within Drakemark, those being the master planned housing estate, the mid level housing complex, and the high level housing complex. The master planned housing estate is a large block of small apartment buildings which can house about five to eight families each and a community centre or park built into the complex. This type of facility is most popular in lower density areas such as suburbs or smaller localities. A mid level housing complex is a collection of five to seven buildings of about 12 stories each which are designed in a block-like fashion with inserted public facilities. These complexes can be found in many different residential densities, and are most commonly found within the middle areas of cities. High level housing complexes are collections of four or five high density residential tower blocks which are located typically in high density areas. Like the other two housing estates, they contain inserted public recreational facilities. Public housing is only provided to citizens who cannot otherwise purchase shelter on their own. The complexes are also highly sustainable and older buildings have been renovated numerous times to remain modern, energy efficient, and sustainable.

All electricity, water, postage, and sanitation utilities are provided to the public at no cost by the government. Electricity in the nation is provided through various methods of power generation and sharing across a domestic grid. Clean drinking water in Drakemark is also provided by the government, with its sourcing and logistical transportation provided by a national network of pipelines and locality based networks which are maintained to be efficient and reliable. Domestic postage is provided by the government at no expense to citizens, though international parcel mailing costs a small extra-domestic fee and is subject inspection by customs services if it is not from an IPEC nation. Sanitation is also provided nationally at no direct expense to the public, with recycling programmes and sustainability efforts being employed in the service to their fullest extent.

Necessities subsidies
Drakemark maintains a system of subsidies payment towards citizens who are unable to provide basic necessities for themselves, known as a whole and officially as unemployment subsidies and sometimes referred to as necessities subsidies. These subsidies provide periodic supplies for the areas of food, automotive fuel, and clothing, along with an extra allocation of money for general expenditure. Food subsidies payment is given at a period of one month, and averages around $30 per person within the household. Automotive fuel subsidies are provided at $60 for each automobile at a period of one month. The subsidies also includes the payment for local transportation networks should citizens not be in the possession of an automobile. Clothing subsidies are provided at $250 per person for every three months. All money not spent by a citizen within their period of use is expected to be returned to the government at the chance of prosecution for abuse of subsidies usage. The provision of these subsidies is also investigated thoroughly before and during the periods which they are provided to a household of citizens to insure that they are required. It is implied through these subsidies that citizens will active search for employment during the period which they are receiving the mandated funds.