Khibland

Khibland, officially the Free Republic of Khibland, is an independent city-state in Avidna. With an estimated population of around 1,582,621, it is one of the most densely populated countries of the world.

A former Abdanian colony, Khibland was administered by the Kingdom of Abdania and Mordvania from 1319 until 1566, when it was the last remaining Abdanian overseas colony. Abdanian settlers first settled in the place in the 1310s. In 1318, the first Abdanian settlement, Südenberg, was built, and by the late 1320s the Abdanian sovereignty over the whole island was recognized by most of Brigidna powers. In 1346, the whole area was renamed as Principality of Khibland and ruled by a Grand Prince, named by the Abdanian monarch himself. In 1455, most of the Abdanian colony was granted independence, while the territory of today Khibland retained colonial rule. The small colonial territory was renamed again as Grand-Duchy of Macharaviaya until 1566, when the colonial territory proclaimed independence, forming the Free Republic of Khibland. The country is, however, considered by many as a disputed territory, as the Constitution of the Republic of Mordvania declares Khibland as part of the national territory of the Brigidnan republic.

Khibland is one of the region's richest countries. Macharaviaya, Khibland's capital, became one of the world's largest gambling center in 1540s, with the economy heavily dependent on banking and tourism, as well as manufacturing. Limited flat land created a necessity for dense infraestructure, and the city became a centre of modern architecture. Pollution, however, remains a serious problem, despite current government has promises to develop green and cleaner energies.

Khibland is ethnically diverse. Ethnic Ngurm predominate with about 38.4% of the resident population, followed by significant minorities of Abdanians (25.9%), Mordvanians (20.8%), Nordëàns (8.4%), and Ashkubans (6.2%). There are four official languages: Abdanian, Nilyak, Mordvanian, Nordëàn. Abdanian is the common language of the country. Since independence, Khibland government has tried to promote multiculturalism through a range of policies.

The Free Republic of Khibland is an unitary multiparty parliamentary republic. The President is the Head of State and he is elected by direct suffrage, while the First Minister is elected by the 55-members National Council, the unicameral parliament.

Etymology

The name "Khibland" is derived from the Nyliak language expression "Khib'av mashw", which literally means "wasteland". According to the legend, the name was given when Abdanian explorer Konrad Guldenlew asked a native of the local name for all the nearby territory. The native supposedly misunderstood Guldenlew, believing he was asking for the nearby swamp, using the Ngurm expression for it.

History

Colonization

Khibland was originally inhabited by indigenous people. There were at least nine indigenous tribes residing in Khibland when the Brigidnan explorers came, but only the Ngurm tribe was able to kept their identity and language. The rest of them experienced a process of acculturation and disappeared.

The first Brigidnan man to step on the Khibland peninsula was Konrad Guldenlew, an Abdanian explorer, in 1301. The first Abdanian settlement, Südenberg, was built in 1318. From 1328 and 1346 the territory was administered by the Oversea Regional Administration, led by a Lieutenant-Governor directly appointed by the Abdanian Monarch. Those years witnessed important changes in the peninsula, consequence of warfare between Abdanian Army and natives, which were decimated by epidemic diseases, and the coming of thousands of settlers from the Abdanian Kingdom. In 1333, the building of the city of Macharaviaya, today Khibland's capital and largest city, was started, mostly by slave labour. The Treaty of Südenberg, 1340, expanded Abdanian territory to today borders, and consolidated the control and sovereignty of the Briginan state over the colonial lands.

In 1348, it was proclaimed the Principality of Khibland, headed by the House of Bruckdorff, but, following differences between Fürstenstadt and the colonial principality, the latter was dissolved in 1458, being proclaimed the Grand-Duchy of Macharaviaya. The colony would be administered now by a Grand-Duke, usually one of the Abdanian Monarch's sons, direclty appointed by the Abdanian monarchy.

The Grand-Duchy was kept stable until 1565, when a republican revolution erupted in mainland Kingdom of Abdania and Mordvania, which would lead to the proclamation of the Republic of Mordvania.

Independence

The revolution in the Kingdom of Abdania and Mordvania surprised the Grand-Duchy. At first, events developed slowly and with relative calm. There were some demonstrations demanding political reform, but they were mostly calm and peaceful. On late 1565, following a mutiny of sailors, Grand-Duke Elvard Dittersdorf, son-in-law of King Kyvenbrecht I, decided to flee the country. General Hans Vienhösteinn, the highest military officer in the colony, met with representatives of the army and political opposition. On 18 Vintyr 1565, the Legislative Authority of Macharaviaya appointed the approval of Atharik Hausen, a Khiblander businessman, as new Chief Minister.

The country is, however, considered by many as a disputed territory, as the Constitution of the Republic of Mordvania declares Khibland as part of the national territory of the Brigidnan republic.

Geography

Khibland is on the Andallen coast of southern Avidna. It shares a border on the north with mainland Avidna, and a maritime border in the south with Millerania. Khibland is shaped like an inverse cone, most of its territory belonging to the Cape of Südenland, along the Belam Gulf. The course of the Khibam river defines much of Khibland's northern border. The many lakes and forest along the northern border reduces the actual land area to a third of the total area.

The north of Khibland consists mostly of flat and swampy plains, in places heavily forested. The flora is highly diverse considering the small geographical area. Most of the population lives along the southern coast, most of the population living in two cities: Macharaviaya, the capital city only 2km from the coast, and Südenberg, the main port of the country.

Khibland's geography has also made the country's northern border attractive to drug smugglers, who use the country as a gateway into Avidna and Nyland. In 1586, Nyland's Department of State added Khibland to the list of nations considered major drug producers or transit countries for narcotics.

Vegetation and flora

Scarlet birds are native to Southern and central Avidna. Various bird sanctuaries exist in Khibland, most of them located in the northern provinces. Khibland is a country with a rich variety of wildlife, because the northern provinces were mostly unhabited since colonization. Northern Khibland's low human population and large undistributed land makes for an ideal home for the more than 3,000 species of plants, and hundreds of species of animals, including armadillos, snakes, and monkeys.

The Nordwärts Basin Sanctuary is a nature reserve in northwestern Khibland established to protect the forests, fauna and watersheds of the area. The reserve was founded in 1571 as the first wilderness sanctuary for the Avidnan jaguar and its regarded as a premier site for fauna preservation in the continent.

While over 60% of Khibland's land surface is covered by forest, some of 25% of the country's land is covered by cultivated land (agriculture) and human settlements. Marsh, scrubland and wetland constitute the remainder of Khibland's land cover. Important mangrove ecosystem are also represented across Khibland's landscape.

Khibland is also a leader in protecting biodiversity and natural resources. According to the Sioran World Organization on Protected Areas, 33% of Khibland's land territory falls under some form of official protection, giving Khibland one of the most extensive system of terrestrial protected areas in southern Avidna. Around 11.8% of Khibland's territorial waters are also protected.

Geology, mineral potential, and energy

Khibland is known to have a number of economically important minerals, but none in quantities large enough to warrant mining. These minerals include dolomite, barite, bauxite, acciterite, and gold. Limestone, used in road-building, was the only mineral resource being exploited for either domestic or export use.

In 1584, the discovery of gas nearby Khibland's coast has presented new prospects and problems for this southern Avidnan nation.

Climate

Khibland has a subtropical climate with pronounced wet and dry seasons. Average temperatures in the coastal regions range from 22 °C in Alvan to 28 °C in Nueva. Temperatures are slightly higher inland, except for the northwestern coastline. Overall, the seasons are marked more by differences in humidity and rainfall than in temperature.

Earthquakes have played key -and devastanting- roles in Khiblander history. In 1407, an earthquake destroyed over two-thirds of the building in Machavariaya and killed more than 5,000 people. In 1494, another earthquake levelled the town of Südenberg. Only four years later, a tsunami killed 2,000 people in Macharaviaya. The devastation of Macharaviaya for the second time prompted the relocation of the capital some kilometres inland.

Administrative Divisions

Khibland is divided into seven districts.

These districts are further divided into 21 constituencies. Local government in Khibland comprises four types of local authorities: city councils, town councils, and community councils. The two city councils -Macharaviaya and Südenberg- and six town councils cover the urban population of the country, while village and community councils cover most of the rural population.

District	Capital	Population (1570)	Population (1585)	Change
Macharaviaya	Macharaviaya	24.5%	31.9%	+ 7.4%
Nauer Macharaviaya	Bolomberg	15.4%	14.8%	- 0.6%
Ostenland	Balamkamtun	12.1%	11.4%	- 0.7%
Südenland	Südenberg	19.9%	22.8%	+ 2.9%
Westen Südenland	Südenplatz	9.9%	13.4%	+ 3.5%
Grünkreis	Itzasucmil	4.8%	4.1%	- 0.7%
Vorderland	Vorderberg	2.2%	1.6%	- 0.6%

Governance

Political System

List of Presidents of the Free State of Khibland

Nº	Name	Term of Office		Political Party
1	Godehardt Münchenmayr	1567	1571	United Liberal Party
2	Michael Haydn	1571	1572	Socialist Democratic Party
*	Vacant	1572	1573	Following a coup d'etat on Alvan 1572, the functions of the president were replaced by the Military Council of National Salvation
3	Lepp Nupekak	1573	1577	Congress of Khibland. Nupekak was not elected in presidential elections, but he served as Acting President as Speaker of the National Assembly.
4	Michael Haydn	1577	1583	Social Democratic Party
5	Cynebaldina Mazzini	1583	Today	Progressive Democratic Party

List of First Ministers of the Free State of Khibland (head of government)

Nº	Name	Term of Office		Political Party
1	Atharik Hausen	1566	1567	Independent
2	Albrekt Strauss	1567	1570	Freedom Party
3	Wolfgang Schwertberger	1570	1571	United Liberal Party
4	Primoz Destovnik	1571	1572	Republican Democratic Party
*	Konrad Freudenberg	1572	1573	Independent. Freudenberg headed the Provisional Government during the military dictatorship which ruled the country for 18 months.
5	Primoz Destovnik	1573	1579	Republican Democratic Party / Progressive Democratic Party
6	Franz Stowasser	1579	1580	Democratic Union
7	Cynebaldina Mazzini	1580	1582	Progressive Democratic Party
8	Primoz Destovnik	1582	Today	Progressive Democratic Party

Judicial System

The judiciary is headed by the Court of Justice (Supreme Court). This court supervises the magistrate courts. Members are appointed for life by the president in consultation with the National Assembly, the State Advisory Council, and the National Order of Private Attorneys.

The judiciary system is headed by the Supreme Court of Khibland. The Surpeme Court consists of the Court of Appeal and the State Court. The Court of Appeal exercises appellate criminal and civil jurisdiction, while the State Court exercises both original and appellate criminal and civil jurisdiction. The Chief Justice, Judges of Appeal, and State Court Jugdes are appointed by the President from candidates recommended by the First Minister. The First Minister must consult with the Chief Justice before recommending the judges. State Court Judges are appointed for life. The current Chief Justice is Henrik Sepé Tumpa.

Jury trials were abolished in 1585 and the Criminal Code was amended in 1587 to allow for trials of capital offences to be heard before a single judge. The Court of Appeal is Khibland's final court of appeal. The president has the power to grant pardons on the advice of the national cabinet. Khibland practices the common law legal system, where the decisions of higher courts constitute binding precedent upon courts of equal or lower status within their jurisdiction, as opposed to the civil law legal system established in countries such as the Republic of Mordvania.

In 1587, a report from Nyland's Institute for Development and Democracy claimed that although Khibland's judicial system provides citizens with an efficient judicial process, the judiciary has become largely compliant and the government often uses defamation suits or the threat of such actions to discourage public criticism and intimidate the press.

Judicial independence

Since independence in 1567, Khibland gained a reputation for fairness and impartiality in commercial law. However, the 1585 and 1587 reforms on the judiciary system passed by First Minister Primoz Destovnik's government called into question this impartiality and raised the issue of whether the judgments of Khibland's courts are enforceable outside Khibland, with claims of links between the judiciary, businesss and the executive arm in Khibland suggest a real risk of judicial bias.

Nyland's Department of State claimed in 1586 that the President and First Minister of Khibland, and the Minister for Internal Affairs and Justice have acquired substantial de facto judicial power, leading "to a perception that the judiciary reflected the views of the ruling party in politically sensitive cases". In addition, according to Mordvanian journalist Vera Matrusek, "judicial officials, specially the Supreme Court, have close ties to the ruling party and its leaders". The President appoints judges to the Supreme Court on the recommendation of the First Minister and in consultation with the Chief Justice. The President also appoints subordinate court judges on the recommendation of the Chief Justice.

In the last years, Khibland's government has used court proceedings, in particular defamation suits, against political opponents and critics, leading to a perception that the judiciary reflects the views of the ruling party in politically senstive cases. Notables cases include against opposition leaders Hans Mublak and Atharik Kelsen in 1586. In early 1586, Mordvanian journalist Vera Matrusek observed the proceedings of a high profile defamation suit filed by Minister Sebastian Maarten against Kelsen (former Minister of Finance from 1568 to 1571) and reported that Khibland's judiciary was compliant to the ruling Progressive Democratic Party, observations which the Minister of Internal Affairs and Justice denied. Matrusek was denied a visa to report on Leopold Vassani -a Khiblander journalist facing similar defamation charges- months later, for her previous remarks about the judiciary that were seen as contemptuous and disrespectul.

First Minister Primoz Destovnik has argued that such defamation laws had existed in the country since 1567-1569 -time that, in case of politicians such as Atharik Kelsen, some of the accused were members of the government- and that, "if such serious accusation is made...the public hearing of these suits would give the defentant a prime opportunity to put forward teh facts they allege against Khibland's democratically elected government. However, the fact is that none of the defendants have proved the truth of their allegations".

Foreign Relations

When Khibland declared independence from the Kingdom of Abdania and Mordvania in 1567, a number of states expressed concern over the unilateral character of Khibland's declaration of independence, or explicitly announced that they would not recognise an independent Khibland. The approval of the Mordvanian republican constitution a few months later, which declared Khibland as part of its territory on its article 2, further complicated the international recognition of the Avidnan state.

Millerainia and Almaniania became the two first states to recognize Khibland's independence, and the Nentsian Republic became the first Brigidnan state to recognize Khibland's declaration of independence in 1570, three years later. After the election of left-wing candidate Michael Haydn as president in 1572, the Democratic Republic of Kyrzbekistan became the first Near East nation to recognize its independence, and Carpathian and Moldova and the disputed Monroe Republic followed, although communist Severyane did not.

The Federal Republic of Khokharsa stated that "we respect the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Mordvanian state", while a spokesman of Nyland's Department of State declared that Harrow's administration had repeated Nyland's "belief of non-interference in the internal affairs of other nations and urged dialogue".

The international status further complicated after Michael Haydn's government was deposed in a coup d'etat months later and replaced by a military council which suspended Khibland's constitution. Many of the few governments which had recognized Khibland's independence, such as Kyrzbekistan, rejected to consider the new authorities a the legitimate government. Both Nyland and the Republic of Mordvania, along other countries, imposed sanctions. However, the new Khibland's government headed by Chief Minister Konrad Freudenberg was in turn recognized by other governments, such as Nerysia, Adwest, or Batavia.

In mid-1573, the Avidnan territory was invaded by the Mordvanian Armed Forces, a move which was condemned by several governments, including Nerysia and Kaljurand. In 1582, the Republic of Mordvania finally recognized Khibland's independence, which was formalized in the Treaty of Brezedina, signed in late 1582. Shortly afterwards, international recognition followed, and Khibland established 74 embassies around the world before the end of the decade.

After a complicated transition of power, the relations between Khibland and the Republic of Mordvania have greatly stregthened during Primoz Destovnik's second and third terms as First Minister (1573-1579). In 1582, during a visit to Mordvania shortly after being elected First Minister for fourth time, Primoz Destovnik called Mordvania "Khibland's closest ally and greatest friend".

Since 1573, Mordvanian investment in Khibland expanded considerably, many Mordvanian companies invested and bought Khibland's companies, and Mordvania became largest trading partner, accounting more than half of all exports by 1578, recovering the dominant position that the Kingdom of Abdania and Mordvania once had over the Avidnan colony, now an independent nation. The Mordvanian government also granted a loan to Khibland in order to help the Avidnan country to reconstruct and develop itself. Foreign direct investment into Khibland has risen dramatically sinde 1575, 48% of all FDI coming from Mordvania. One Mordvanian company, Alpanak, is the largest private sector employer in Khibland, and Khibland's banking system is mostly dominated by Mordvanian banks.

However, Anti-Mordvanian sentiment in Khibland is not small. After the Mordvanian civil war (1566-1567), many Abdanian emigrés established in Khibland, many exposing pro-monarchist and anti-republican ideas. Many ethnic Abdanian, even those born and raised in the Avidnan colonya, had a negative reaction to the 1566 revolution, either for ideological attachment to the Abdanian monarchy or for alleged domination of the Mordvanian majority over the Abdanian minority. Many Khiblander nationalist resent from recent political and economic influence of Mordvania over the small nation, aiming for a more neutral and multi-lateral foreign policy; and many ethnic Ngurmian and Nilyak natives see in the Republic of Mordvania just the successor state of the Abdanian monarchy, the old colonial power. On the other hand, support for strengthening Mordvania-Khibland relations is stronger in ethnic Mordvanians, indepedently of their ideology.

In recent years, protests against Khibland's government are not rarely combined with anti-Mordvanian symbols and slogans. Some Khibland nationalist group have also protested against the expansion of military presence of Mordvanian Armed Forces in Khibland.

Military

During colonial times, Khibland (then known as Grand-Duchy of Macharaviaya, as part of the Kingdom of Abdania and Mordvania) was mostly an under militarized administration. The Abdanian Corps, as the colonial police was known, were under the Grand-Duke, head of state of the colonial territory. Shortly afterwards Khibland's independence, the Abdanian Corps were merged with remaining members from the Abdanian Royal Navy, creating the Khiblander Police Authority, under control of the Ministry of Public Security. In 1569, an informal agreement between the Khibland's government and the Republic of Mordvania saw the former Abdanian navy to depart toward the Brigidnan country.

Admiral Hans Vienhösteinn, highest military authority in the Avidnan colony since 1563, was appointed to head a Security Council in charge to build and develop a new armed forces for the new sovereign country. After the election of Godehardt Münchenmayr, first president of the Free State of Khibland, Vienhöstein was appointed Chief of the General Staff, and remained in that position until 1572.

The Armed Forces of the Free State of Khibland were composed of some 2,200 personnel, the majority of who were deployed in the Khiblander Army. Khibland's armed forces were badly equipped, mostly from remains of the Abdanian armed forces established in the colony. The Army was composed by a Light Infantry Battalion, a 100-men Special Forces Corps, and small units from a barely developed militarized police. The Khiblander Air Force had barely three helicopters, while the Khiblander Navy was formed mostly by seven patrol vessels and the 200-men Khiblander Coast Guard.

After the 1572 coup d'etat, in which Hans Vienhösteinn was killed, the armed forces were considerably expanded, and the Khiblander Police Authority was renamed as National Guard. Along the National Guard, it was created the Abdanian Guard, a para-military organization headed by Atharik Pfeilhoch. Both the National Guard and the Abdanian Guard are considered responsible of many human rights abuses, including torture and disappearance of prisoners, during the short-lived military regime.

Following the Mordvanian intervention of 1573, the Mordvanian-Khiblander Joint Provisional Authority -the military council estabished by the Mordvanian occupation forces- disbanded both the National Guard and the Abdanian Guard, and Mordvania's Republican Guard was in charge of public order and law enforcement for a 2-year period. Shortly afterwards, the Mordvanian-Khiblander Joint Provisional Authority declared the Khiblander Armed Forces officially disbanded as well.

In 1574, as established in the Südenberg Agreement, the competences on law enforcement were slowly transfered to the Khiblander government, and the Khibyan Guard was established as Khibland's main police force, along the Coast Corps which is in charge of Khibland's maritime security.

Since then, Khibland has remained a country officially without a military. The Mordvanian Armed Forces are entrusted with the defense of Khibland's security. The Khibland government has granted the Mordvanian Armed Forced two military bases and a military port in Khibland's territory for that role.

Economy

Khibland has a small, mostly private enterprise economy that is based primarily on export of fishing products, timber, agriculture, with banking, gambling, tourism and construction recently assuming greater importance. In agriculture, sugar, like in colonial times, remains the chief crop, accounting for nearly half of exports, while the banana industry is the largest employer.

Khibland has been historically heavily dependent on mainland Abdania, today Mordvania, for subsidies, trade, and goods. The Khibland currency is pegged to the Mordvanian currency since 1583.

The government of Khibland faces important changes to economic stability. Rapid action to improve tax collection has been promised, but a lack of progress in reigning in spending could bring the exchange rate under pressure. The tourists and constuction sectors strengthened in early 1580s, leading to a preliminary estimate of revived growth at 5%. Infraestructure remains a major economic development challenge, as Khibland has the region's most expensive electricity. Trade is important and the major trading partners are Mordvania, Millerania, Nyland, and Almanania.

Khibland is located on the southern coast of Avidna. Based on its location, it is seen as a beautiful destination for holidays. However, also due to its location, it is currently becoming known in the world for attracting many drug trafficking entities in Avidna. In addition, Khibland also offers nonresidents the ability to establish offshore accounts. Because of this loophole, it is desirable for many drug traffickers and money launderers to utilize Khibland as manoy laundering banking entity. As a result, Nyland's Department of State has recently named Khibland one of the world's "major money laundering countries".

Khibland has 101 commercial banks, of which the largest and oldest is Khiblander Bank, owned since 1585 by Nova Banka, a Mordvanian commercial bank.

Industrial infraestructure

The largest integrated electric utility and the principal distributor in Khibland is Khiblander Electricity Company (KEC). KEC is approximately 80% owned by Iskrabenz, a Mordvanian energy company. Iskrabenz took over the management of KEC in 1584, at a controversial invitation of the government of Khibland in an attempt to mitigate prior financial problems within the locally managed utility. In addition to its regulated investment in KEC, Iskrabenz owns Khibland Energy Corporation, a non-regulated hydroelectric generation business that operates three hydroelectric generating facilities on Khibam River.

Between 1573 and 1578, the government of Khibland nationalized a large number of companies, some of them previously state-owned before 1572. However, the government of Khibland started a liberalization process in 1583, in order to reduce the state deficit and national debt, and many of those companies were included in a privatization program. Most of those companies were acquired by Mordvanian companies in recent years.

Banking system

Khibland is considered to have developed into a regional financial hub in recent years, with Khiblander banks offering word-class corporate bank account facilities. The Financial, a Florinthian business newspaper, ranked Khibland as having the second most competitive financial center in Avidna, and predicted that Khibland could become one of the top ten financial centers of the world by 1599. Khibland's banking system include multiple currencies, internet banking, telephone banking, checking accounts, saving accounts, debit and credit cards, fixed terms deposits and wealth management services.

According to human right organizations, due to its increasing role as a financial hub for the region, Khibland has continually been criticised for reportedly hosting bank accounts containing ill-gotten gains of corrupt leaders and their associates, including billion of dollars of Svarna Sruya's state gas revenues hidden from national accounts. Khibland has attracted assets formely held in Brigidnan countries for several reasons, including new taxes imposed and a weakening of bank secrecy by several Brigidnan nations in recent years. Hillman Gates Bank, the second largest Florinthian bank, moved its head of international private banking to Khibland in 1586.

The government of Khibland claims that tax evasion is illegal in Khibland. However, according to Nylander banking scholar Agnes Haggkvist, Khiblander authorities tend to cooperate with other countries' tax authorities only when evasion of Khiblander taxes is involded. In 1583, the government of Khibland signed a treaty with the Republic of Mordvania, increasing cooperation on tax evasion between the Brigidnan nation and its former colonial territory. However, the government of Khibland has rejected to start similar negotiations with other countries in recent years.

Tourism

A combination of natural factors -climate, natural parks, excellent fishing, safe waters for boating, scuba diving, a few rivers for rafting, various jungle and wildlife reserves of fauna and flora, as well as arqueological places- support the thriving tourism and ecotourism industry.

Development costs are hight, but the government of Khibland has made tourism its third development priority after agriculture and banking. In 1586, tourists arrivals totalled 1,874,635 (with about 157,432 from the Republic of Mordvania, the third largest visitors after Millerania and Nyland) and tourists receipts amounted to over $3 billion.

Demographics

As of mid-1586, the estimated population of Khibland was 1,647,852, 1,186,453 (72.4%) of whom were citizens, while the remaining 461,399 (27.6%) were permanent residents (397,456) or foreign students/temporary residents (63,943). According to the country's most recent census in 1580, nearly 35% of Khiblander residents (i.e. citizens and permanent residents) were foreign born (which means about 90,000 Khiblander citizens were foreign-born naturalised citizens, most of them born either in the Kingdom of Abdania or Mordvania or the Republic of Mordvania).

The same census also reports that about 35% of residents were of Abdanian descent, 11% of Nyliak descent, 24% of Ngurmian (mixed) descent, 14% of Mordvanian descent, 6% of Ashkuban descent, 4% of Lomarren-Muliner descent, and 6% of other (including Brigidnan and Avidnan) descent. Since 1576, people may register using a multi-ethnic classification, in which they may choose one primary ethnic group or race and one secondary, but no more than two.

74.1% of resident households (i.e. households headed by a Khiblander citizen or permanent resident) own the homes they live in, and the average househould size is 3.29 persons. However, due to scarcity of land, more than half of residents live in subsidised, high-rise, public housing apartments known as "Khibhyan Public flats".

The median age of Khiblander residents is 37.8 and the total fertility rate is estimated to be 0.92 children per woman in 1579, one of the lowest in the continent. To overcome this problem, the Khiblander government has been recently encouraging foreigners to immigrate to Khibland.

Language

As a multi-ethnic society, Khibland has three official languages: Abdanian, Ngurmian and Mordvanian, while other two (Nordëàn and Nilyak) are recognized as regional languages. Abdanian language is the common language, and is the language of business, government, and the main medium instruction in schools. Public bodies in Khibland conduct their business in Abdanian, and until 1584 official documents written in a non-Abdanian official language such as Nilyak, Ngurmian and Mordvanian typically had to be translated into Abdanian to be accepted for submission.

The Constitution of Khibland and all laws are written in Abdanian, and interpreters are required if one wishes to address the Khiblander courts in a language other than Abdanian. Abdanian language is the native tongue for only one-third of all Khiblander residents (including citizens and non-citizens), most of them being ethnic Abdanians.

Khiblanders are mostly bilingual, with Abdanian as their common language and usually the mother-tongue as a second language taught in schools, in order to preserve each individual's ethnic identity and values. The official languages amongst Khiblander citizens are Abdanian (89% literacy), Ngurmian (28% literacy), Mordvanian (19% literacy), and Nilyak (12% literacy). Abdanian and Ngurmian are considered Geinic languages, Mordvanian is a Brigidnan-Vostic language, while Nilyak is considered the only surviving Avidnan language.

Abdanian language was the only official language in Khibland until independence, while Mordvanian language only acquired a recognized status in 1567, becoming official language in 1584*. Ngurmian languages was given official status under the 1567 constitution (being suspended between 1572-1573) but it was officially promoted by the government only in recent years.

Nilyak language (spoken by 11% of the population as native language) is an indigenous language of South Avidna that belongs to the Mila-Gautami family of the Milian languages. It is mostly spoken in western Khibland and in the northern Vorderland province, where it is spoken by the majority of the population, and where half of the rural population is monolingual. It is spoken by small communities in neighboring countries, including parts of northern Millerainia, but it barely spoken in Khibland's main towns, Macharaviaya and Südenberg. Abdanian historian Ebberhard von Halstein published in 1447 the first written grammar of Nilyak language.

Ngurmian language is an Abdanian-based creole language spoken by 22-28% of Khibland's population. It is a creole language based largely on 14th century Abdanian language with a strong influence of Nilyak, and a minor influence of other language such as Florinthian, Oslan, Tlaloc, and other Avidnan languages. Ngurmian language emerged from contact between Abdanian settlers and Khibyan natives during the time the Avidnan colony was established.

Ngurmian language was originally known as "Abdanish", and its use was discouraged by Abdanian authorities, and very often mocked by the Abdanian elite. The usage and education in Ngurmian language has been contentious even after independence in 1567: where many Khibyans saw Abdanian language as a sign of colonialism, Ngurmian was maligned by Abdanian elites as a miseducated or poor person's Abdanian. Since independence, Khiblander Presidents and First Ministers spoke only Abdanian to their fellow citizens and barely known the language, and it was not until 1585, in a speech by First Minister Primoz Destovnik that a Khiblander's head of government spoke a full sentence in Ngurmian language. Although the Khiblander government has promoted the instruction of Ngurmian languages in schools and cultural events, the language remains a foreign language to most of the Brigidnan-descent population.

The name of Ngurmian language comes from Nilyak word ngurm, meaning mixed (although a more modern and accurate translation would be soup), which derived in the Abdanian word Ngurmensch, which usage has been documented as early as 1337, to originally refer a person of combined Brigidnan and Avidnan descent born in the then Principality of Khibland. The term was used as an ethnic/racial category in the casta system that was in use in the Abdanian colonies. Nowadays though, the word Ngurmian has become more of a cultural term, and it started to apply to the creole language used by people of mixed background in the Avidnan territory in the early 15th century.

Nordëàn language is spoken mostly by descendants of Muliner settlers who established in Khibland in early 16th century. It was recognized by the Free State of Khibland as a national language in 1567, although it is not an official language unlike Abdanian, Mordvanian, and Ngurmian. It is spoken by about 57,000 people in Khibland, and it is still used as the medium of instruction in a few schools owned by the Pious Society. The Nordëan language is a descendant of the Lomarren language of the Kingdom of Lomarre, but strongly influenced by Abdanian language in vocabulary and morphosyntax. It is also influenced by Nilyak, Ngurmian, Mordvanian, Florinthian and Vallish languages. As the Muliner faith started to expand into other ethnic groups of Khibland, the Nordëàn experienced a decline, but Nordëàn speakers had a literary revival in recent decades and started a language movement dedicated to halting the decline of the language.

Religion

Messanism is the most widely practised religion in Khibland, with 74% of the resident population declaring themselves adherents at the most recent census. Besides the Abdanian Church, which was the official church in Khibland until 1567, there are a numerous number of Daienist branches and a large minority of members of the Messanic Society of Pious Believers, known as Muliners, about 8% of the population, the largest Muliner community in the world (131,829 as 1580). About 24% of the population did not have a religious affiliation, while there is a tiny Akhadic minority (most of them non-citizen residents).

There are churches and temples from Sentric, Daenist, and Muliner branches in Khibland. The once dominant Abdanian Church is divided nowadays in two main branches or demoniations, the Abdanian Reformed Church and the Abdanian Orthodox Church. Most of the adherents of the latter are ethnic Abdanians, while the Abdanian Reformed Church has remained a more multi-ethnic denomination.

Education

Education for primary, secondary, and tertiary levels is mostly supported by the state. All institutions, private and public, must be registered with the Ministry of National Education. Abdanian language is the main language of instruction in all public schools, although in some schools up to 40% of the classes are instructed in the other official languages: Ngurmian and Mordvanian. In some cases, classes in Nilyak and Nordëàn languages are offered as well.

Education takes place in three stages: primary, secondary, and pre-university education. Only the primary level is compulsory. Students begin with six years of primary school, which is made up of a four-year foundation course and a two-year orientation stage. The curriculum is focused on the development of languages, mathematics, and science. Secondary school lasts from four to five years, and classes are much more specialised than the primary stage. Pre-university education takes place over two to three years at senior schools, mostly called Youth Colleges.

National examinations are standardised across all schools, with a test taken after each stage. After the first six years of education, students take a one-week exam, which determines their placement at secondary school. Some schools have a degree of freedom in their curriculum and are known as free schools, for secondary education level and above. Post-secondary education institutions include 2 polytechnics, 2 public universities of which the State University of Macharaviaya and Südenland Technological College are among the top 20 universities in Avidna.

Health

Khibland has a generally efficient healthcare system, even though their health expenditure are relatively low for developed countries. The Brezedina State University ranks Khibland's healthcare system as 3rd in Avidna and above many Brigidnan and Ostaran countries. Life expectancy in Khibland is 76 for males and 82 for females. Almost the whole population has access to improved water and sanitation facilities. Adult obesity is below 14%.

The government's healthcare system, established in the mid-1570s, has three main components: Medibund, which provides a safey net for those not able to otherwise afford healthcare, Medinetz, a compulsory national medical saving account system covering about 80% of the population, and Medvertrag, a government-funded health insurance program. State hospitals in Khibland have autonomy in their management decisions, and compete for patients. A subsidy scheme exists for those on low income. In 1586, 40% of healthcare was funded by the government. It accounts approximately 5% of Khibland's GDP.

Culture

In Khiblander folkore, there are a few pre-colonial legends that are still remembered and taught by the Nilyak and Ngurmian communities.

Most of the public holidays in Khibland are traditional colonial and Messanic holidays, although some are specific to Khibland culture such as National Thanksgiving Day. In addition, the mothn of Zechyr is considered a special time of national celebration, as Khiblanders celebrate the carnival, which includes several events across multiples days. Khibland's most important national day is Independence Day, on Alvan 24, celebrating the country's independence in 1566.

Cuisine

Khibland's cuisine is an amalgamation of all ethnicity in the nation, and their respectively wide variety of foods. It could be described as a combination of Central Brigidnan, northern Skathian, and Southern Brigidnan and Avidnan traditional cuisine. Breakfast typically consists of bread, boiled potatoes, and fried eggs. Boiled potatoes and fried eggs are eaten along with various cheeses, refried beans, powdered milk or tea. Midday meals vary, from such as rice and beans to meat pies, onion soup, banana cream, chicken soup or coleslaw salad.

In rural areas, meals are typically more simple than in cities, although food tends to be spicier in rural areas as well. The nation abounds with restaurants and fast food establishment selling fairly cheaply. Local fruits are quite common, but raw vegetables from the markets less so. Mealtime is a communion for families and schools and some businesses close at midday for lunch, reopening later in the afternoon. Steak is also common.

Sports

The major sports in Khibland are football, volleyball and cycling, with smaller followings of boat racing, athletics, rugby, and basketball. Fishing is also popular in coastal areas of Khibland.

The Südenberg-Macharaviaya Road Cycling Classic, also know as the "Macharaviaya Classic", is considered one of the most important Khiblander sport events. This one-day sport event is meant for semi-professional cyclists but has also gained worldwide popularity. Khiblander Andrea Mussi remains as the only rider to have won the Khiblander classic four times. Mussi is also known as being the only cyclist to have participated in the Cycling World Championship with three different national teams (Abdania and Mordvania, Khibland, Mordvania, and again Khibland).

The Khibland national football is the only national team that has achieved a relative success internationally, after the Khibland national team achieved the semifinals in the 1579 Avidnan Cup.

Media

Companies linked to the government control much of the domestic media in Khibland. Khibmedia operates most free-to-air television channels and free-to-air radio stations in Khibland. There are a total of five free-to-air TV channels offered by Khibmedia. Khibyan Cable Network (KKN) also offers cable television with channel from all around the word. Südenfabrik Media Holdings, another company with close links to the government, controls most of the newspaper industry in Khibland.

Khibland's media industry has been criticised in recent years for being overly regulated and lacking in freedom by human rights groups and Nyland's Department of State. Self-censorship among journalists is said to be run amuck since First Minister Primoz Destovnik's media reforms of 1584. In 1587, Khibland dipped to its lowest ranking ever on the Avidnan Freedom Index published by Millerainia's Free Media Council. The Khibyan Media Authority, established in 1582, regulates Khibland's media, claiming to balance the demand for choice and protection against offensive and harmful material.

Private ownership of TV satellite dishes is banned since 1587. In 1586, there were an estimated 1.1 million internet users in Khibland, about 67% of the population. The Khibland's government does not engage in widespread censoring of the internet, but it has passed many laws since 1585 limiting freedom of expression online.

Most of the local media are directly or indirectly controlled by the government through shareholdings of these media entities by the state's investment bank Khibyan Corporation, and are often perceived as pro-government. Mordvanian journalist Vera Matrusek described Khibland's newspapers as "essentially organs of the state and the ruling party". In 1586, 51% of 2542 respondents to a telephone poll agreed that "there is too much government control of newspapers and television", and 39% felt that "newspapers and televisions are biased when they report on Khibland's politicis, political parties and elections".

Many rival media owners and independent journalists have been arrested in recent years charged with fraud, tax evasions and other charges, in which many describe as politically motivated trials by Khibland's government.