Westland

Westland, offically the Republic of Westland, (Westlandic - Republicas Västland) is a sovereign state in North Western Europe, located to the south of the island of Great Britain. Westland shares a land border with the United Kingdom, and borders the Westland Channel to the south. Westland has a total land area of 40,372 km2, and a population of 1,973,324, making it among the least populous countries in Europe. The capital, and largest city of Westland is Sommertunn, while the official language is Westlandic.

Westland has existed almost continuously since the 6th century, when it was founded as the Anglo-Saxon Kingdom of Wessex. Wessex became the most powerful of the Anglo-Saxon fiefdoms which now form England, and was the main force in repelling Danish invaders in the 10th century. In 927, the other fiefdoms of England unified into a single Kingdom of England, however Wessex excluded itself from this arrangement. Wessex became known as Westland after 927. In the 11th Century, Westland was invaded, and occupied by Norwegian and Danish armies, which began to influence Westlandic culture and language. Westland remained a powerful entity throughout Medieval Europe, however other countries began to overtake Westland in terms of population, while Westland's stay unusually low. Westland was the seat of a colonial empire between the late 16th century and the 19th century, with colonies in North America, in what is now Canada. Westland was among the first countries in Europe to industrialise, following the United Kingdom and Belgium. Westland's monarchy was abolished in 1932, and the landmark Constitution of 1932 ushered in a new era of Liberal Democratic Socialism. Westland has a long and unique cultural history, with traditions still strongly echoed in modern life and retold through Sagas.

According to the constitution, Westland is a Liberal Democratic Socialist State, and has been since 1932 following the abolition of Westland's monarchy. Westland has a limited form of socialism, with capitalist influences creating a modern state. Its system guarantees the protection of individual civil liberties, the environment, equality, and the protection of human rights, aswell as the respect of personal property whilst focusing on even distribution of wealth and resources and public ownership. As a result, Westland has one of the lowest rates of inequality in terms of income, and ranks very high in terms of democracy, civil liberties, human rights, gender equality and freedom of press. As of 2014, Westland is ranked as one of the most developed nations in the world. National happiness in Westland is among the highest in the world.

Westland's mixed economy allows of limited form of capitalism, mainly focusing on socialist economics, evenly distributing wealth and public ownership, whilst also having an emphasis on personal property and freedom of choice and possession. Westland’s welfare system is one of the most comprehensive in the world, providing healthcare, and tertiary education to all citizens of Westland. Westland has been ranked as one of the best countries to live in, in terms of quality of life, civil liberties and equality.

Westlandic culture is founded upon the nations Anglo-Saxon Germanic heritage. Most Westlandic people are descendants of Saxons who emigrated to the British Isles in the 5th century, or the original indigenous Celtic people of the British Isles. Westlandic, a North Germanic language, descends almost directly from Old English. The nation's cultural heritage includes traditional Westlandic cuisine, great poetry and the Pagan Faith. Paganism is a majority religion, with Christianity also playing a minor part, however Westlandic people are generally irreligious.

Etymology
The English exonym, Westland, was first used in the early 10th century. Before 927, Westland was known as Wessex, which was an Anglo-Saxon fiefdom before the Kingdom of England was established by Mercia. Westland derives from the country's original location, in the West of Great Britain, however it now covers the southern coast of Great Britain. The Endonym, used by Westlandic people, is Västland, and in official matters, Republikas Västland.

Beginnings and Early Wessex
Wessex was founded in the 6th century by Anglo-Saxons Cynric and Cerdic, who established the House of Cerdic, however many historians speculate this to be mere legend, as the only source is the Anglo-Saxon chronicle written in 927. The ancient Kingdom of Wessex covered the South West of Great Britain, including the Isle of Wiht.

During the 8th century, the hegemony of Mercia grew, and the Kings of Wessex found difficulty to retain their independence. In the 8th century, the ancient Shires (Scir) were established, many of which still exist in modern Wessex. Wessex's fortunes were changed when King Egbert conquered Dumononia, and took control of Surry, Sussex and Kent, and conquered Mercia and established the overlordship of Northumbria. Mercian gained its independence once again in 830. During the reign of his successor Æthelwulf, a Danish army arrived in the Thames estuary but was decisively defeated. When Æthelwulf's son Æthelbald ascended to the throne, the kingdom was divided to avoid bloodshed. Æthelwulf was succeeded in turn by his four sons, the youngest being Alfred the Great.

When Wessex was invaded by the Danes in 871, Alfred was compelled to pay them to leave the kingdom. They returned in 876, but were then made to withdraw. In 878 they forced Alfred to seek refuge in the Somerset Levels, but were eventually defeated at the Battle of Edinton. During his reign Alfred issued a new law code, gathered scholars to his court and was able to devote funds in building ships, organising an army and establishing a system of burhs. Many of Alfred The Great's policies are still observed today. Alfred is considered to be one of the most influential figures in Wessen history. Following the invasion, Wessex withdrew from its occupied territories, and granted them independence once again. In 927, the Anglo-Saxon fiefdoms, excluding Wessex, unified to create the Kingdom of England under direction of Mercia. Wessex became its own kingdom, which would later become known as Westland.

The Middle Ages
In the late 10th century, Westland was invaded by the Danes once again, however with fewer forces at his disposal, the Westlandic king was toppled in 1041, and Westland was ruled by the Danes until 1066 when Westlandic people rose up against Danish occupiers, leading to the war between Westland and Danemark. After the death of childless King Edward in 1066 at the Danish Invaders. His brother-in-law was crowned King Harald, but his cousin William the Conqueror, Duke of Normandy, immediately claimed the throne for himself. William launched an invasion of Wesand landed in Sussex on 28 September 1066. Harald and his army were in Uýnsistir following their following their victory against Viking forces. Westlandic and Norman forces faced each other at the Battle of Hæstingvás in 1066, in which the Norman army was defeated. William was sleign, and Harald emerged victorious.

During the Middle Ages Westland was a powerful political entity in Europe, however as other countries began to rise in population, Westland's populated stayed low. It is estimated there was a population of around 300,000 people in Westland. Westland's political system changed drastically during the 13th century, as the King granted the Uitanegemot legislative power, as it had before been the advisory board to the Monarch.

Early Modern Period and the Republic
Beginning in the 16th century, the Kings of Westland sent several expeditions across the Atlantic to find passage to Asia, or discover new lands. After Christopher Columbus discovered America, Westlandic kings sought to establish a trading port in what is now known as Newfoundland. Discoveries continued into the 17th century, however English (later British) colonies began to spring up and eating into Westland's territory. Eventually, all colonies in North America were either abandoned or became part of the British Colonies in the New World, by the 1770's, and Westland's trading empire ended.

In 1923, an accumulation of decades of dissatisfaction with the current system, led to abolition of the Monarchy in 1923 by an Act of Parliament. The Act passed barely, with a victory of just 6 votes. The Monarchy was officially abolished on the 12th of February 1923, and a constitution was drew up the next day. The Constitution had heavy influence by Liberal Socialists, most notably, Márjawígã Friguzaz. In the constitution, Westland was decidadly a Liberal Socialist State with limited capitalist values and emphasis on democracy, protection of civil liberties and personal human rights which have been entrenched in the constitution.

Government
The governmental structure of Westland is a Parliamentary Republic, with elements of a Directly Democratic System. The Proportional Representation electoral system used in elections guarantee maximum representation in government, and creates a truly pluralist society  allowing different political parties to be able to be respresented no matter how large or small. Political culture in Westland is that it is open for everyone, and apathy is low compared to other countries. Due to the small populace of Westland, just over 930,000, direct democratic elements flourish. Westland is ranked highly in political happiness. Electoral turnout is very high, with over 85 of the voting public turning out the election in 2012.

The Head of State of Westlandic is the ceremonial President, however the real political power is vested in the Prime Minister, the unicameral Legislature and the People. The Head of State of Westland is the President. The office of President is a largely ceremonial role within Westlandic politics, whilst the real political power is vested in the Prime Minister. The President is elected every five years by popular vote that is separate from the General Elections in Parliament. Anyone can run for presidential election, however must be over the age of 25.

The Prime Minister is the Head of Government, in which the real executive power is vested in. The Prime Minister is elected every five years through General Elections in the National Council of Westland using a Regional List Proportional Representation System. The proportional representation system if not always creates a Coalition-Government due to the difficulty to gain a majority. Usually, the office of Prime Minister will be the leader of the party with the most seats, and the Deputy Prime Minister the second largest party or leader of another party that the coalition deal had been made with.

The unicameral Legislative arm of the Westlandic Government is the National Council of Westland. The National Council uses a Regional List Proportional Representation System, which allocates seats in accordance to percentage of vote. This leads to a coalition government as the outcome of most, if not all, general elections. The Legislature in Westland is decidadly sovereign, meaning it is where the most power is held.

Foreign Relations
Westland's liberal socialist system has historically caused unsteady relations in the past, in what many Westlandic politicians have called "Ignorant association of socialism with Marxist-Leninism." Westland's political system is entirely different to that of Marxist-Leninist states in that they allow free democratic elections, allow limited capitalism protect civil liberties and human rights, and Westland has gone as far as denouncing communist governance, most notably the Soviet Union, China and Vietnam. Nevertheless, Westlandic politicians throughout the 20th century have been branded communists, particularly by the United States.

Today, Westland is a fully active member in the international community, despite its size. Westland is an active member of the United Nations, the World Development Bank and the Council of Europe, despite having no intention of joining the European Union.

Westland has particularly close relations with many Nordic Countries which constitute its main trading partners, particularly Iceland, Norway and Sweden. Westland also has close ties with Canada and France, particularly since François Hollande became President of France in 2012. Westland formerly had relations with the United States however after building pressure over severe disagreements, and Westland's critcisms and denouncing of American 'invasive' foreign policy, all ties were severed in 2001. Westland has also had decidably rocky relations with China, and historically, the

Military
The Military of Westland based upon the Westlandic Self Defence Forces (Westlandic: Fyld) which is the name of the unified small self-defence forces, of the Land, Sea and Air forces. Westland has long had a culture of non-violence. The Westlandic Defence policy aim is to guarantee the preservation of the independence and sovereignty of the state and people, the integrity of its people, land, territorial waters and airspace, and the guarantee the use of lethal force as a last resort. The Westlandic Self Defence Forces, under the foundation of Wessex, are for the benefit of the country only, and are not to be deployed to protect Westland's interests in other countries or to aid other country's declarations of war, unless, the current government sees fit. Westland has no national service or conscription. Westland's defence spending is very low, at $200 million in 2013. Westland is not a member of any multi-lateral military organisation, and while not neutral, Westland has stated it intends to stay out of military conflict and provide humanitarian aid. The current capacity of the Land Defence Force of Westland is 970 personnel. The Westlandic Naval Fleet consists of 5 vessels, and has a capacity of 990 personnel. The Westlandic Air Force, has a fleet of 30 aircraft, and 660 personnel.

Population Statistics
The total population of Westland as of the 2013 Census, is 931,324, making it one of the least populated countries of Europe, and a Population Density of 19/km makes it one of the most sparsely populated countries in Europe. It is an anomaly that the population level is so low, for a fertile, warm region of Europe. The GDP Per Capita of Westland is $44,023 (4,990,138 VZK), while the average monthly wage is $3,879 (448,439 VZK). Westland has the lowest unemployment rate in the world, at fewer than 1%. Less than 1% of the population live below the poverty line. Westland has fertility rate of 2.04, and a death rate of 6.1. The Literacy Rate of Westland is 100%. 46% of Westlandic people aged 25 to 64 have the equivalent of a Bachelor's Degree, and over 63% have some form of University Degree.

92% of the population of Westland are native Westlandic People. Polish people make up 3% of the foreign born population of Westland, followed by people from Romania (1%), Turkey (0.84%) and the United Kingdom (0.19%). The smallest foreign born population are Hungarians (0.03%). The Westlandic diaspora consists of roughly 90,000 people. The largest diaspora population live in the United Kingdom, followed by Canada, France and Ireland.

Language
The official, and most spoken language in Westland in Westlandic, a West Germanic Language descendant from Old English and Old Norse. The Westlandic Language is spoken by roughly 1,350,000 people worldwide as a native language, and by over 250,000 as a second, or learnt language.

The second largest spoken language in terms of use, is Polish, spoken by over 1.50% of the population. In terms of able speakers the second largest language in Westland is English. A long tradition of subtitling English-language television programs, and proximity to the United Kingdom, has meant that over 65% of the population report an ability to speak English.

Religion
Westland is unique in the Western World in the fact that Christianity is not the majority religion. Over 51% of the population regard themselves as a Westlandic Pagan. Paganism is the indigenous religion of Westland and the British Isles. A further 45% of the population regard themselves as Atheists or having no religious beliefs, and finally, 8% regard themselves as Christian. The majority of Christians belong to the Protestant denomination in Westland. Additionally, 1.5% are Muslim, and 03% Jewish and 0.1% Buddhist and 0.1% Hindu. As modern Westlandic Paganism is not a largely organised religion, except for the administrative body, Paganvestrlands, there is not a total number of Pagan sacred sites, as many people use sites that are sacred to them, and them only. There are a total of 29 churchs in Westland, 6 Mosques, 2 Synagogues, and 2 Hindu Temples.

Economy
Westland has a Mixed Economy which is highly regulated by the state. Westlandic economic values have been described as a mix of Socialist, Agrarian, and Limited-Capitalist. It's mixed economy allows for very limited capitalism and consumerism, while allowing the distrubtion of wealth through staggered income taxation and distribution of resources evenly and fairly. Much of the economy's main sectors are almost entirely state owned and operated. During the late 20th century, the government took several free market oriented measures to alleviate shortages of consumer goods and services.

Westland is a highly agrarian society, which grew in popularity durin the 19th and 20th centuries. As a result, Westland is now almost self-sufficient for food production. Westland's main industries include agriculture, fishing, the service industry, and natural resources. The service industry has seen the largest growth during the 20th and 21st centuries, and now employs over 35% of the population. Agrarianism has a relatively high influence on the economy, with importance on rural population focused on far more than urban population.

The currency in Westland is the Westlandic Krona. In 2014, Westland had a total Gross Domestic Product in terms of Purchasing Power Parity of $31 Billion, and in terms of per capita a total of $42,888. Westland has been described as one of the most developed nations in the world and has the lowest income disparity in the world. Less than 1% of the population live below the poverty line, and only 1% of the population is unemployed.

Culture
Westlandic Culture has its roots in Anglo-Saxon traditions, and isolation has allowed it to have a low level of external influence. Westlandic people are very unified as a community and have a deep sense of social interaction. In contrast to other local countries, Westlandic people place great importance on independence and self-sufficiency. Westlandic people have a very strong work ethic, making Westland one of the most productive countries in the world.

Westland is very liberal in regards to same-sex and LGBT issues. There has never been a law making it illegal to be Gay. In 1989, the Witanagemot passed a law legalising equal Marriage rights for same-sex couples, after having allowed Civil Partnerships since the 1940's, aswell as equal Adoption Rights in 1947. Westland was the first country in the world to legalise Equal Marriage rights for same-sex couples.

Egalitarianism is highly valued among the people of Westland, with income inequality being among the lowest in the world, the Constitution of 1932 prohibits the bestowing or enactment of noble privileges, titles and ranks. Westland is ranked as one of the top 5 countries in the world for women to live in.

Education.
In Westland all education is covered by the state's comprehensive welfare system. All Education, including higher education, is provided freely to all citizens and is funded through general taxation. It is illegal to set up a private or independant school in Westland. The Literacy Rate of Westland is 100%. 49% of Westlandic people aged 25 to 64 have the equivalent of a Bachelor's Degree, and over 63% have some form of University Degree. Education in Westland is regarded as some of the best in the world.

There are three stages of Westland Education, Föst from K-12 (Primary), Twöst from 12-16, Trett from 16-18, and Fert from 18 onwards. All stages except Fert are compulsory, but all stages are entirely state funded.

Communications
Free enterprise is permitted in the sectors of Communications and Media, which includes Press, Television and Radio and Telecommunications, and is one of the most prosperous sectors. Westland has a developed and well connected infrastructure in Communications. 3G and 4G were rolled out across the country from 2010 onwards. Westland is known as one of the most connected countries in the world, with 100% of its population having access to cheap and fast internet, and over 99% regularly using the infrastructure. Computer ownership or access is above 98% and mobile phone ownership is above 99%.