Oslanburg

Oslanburg, officially the Arch-Kingdom of Oslanburg is a western Brigidnian country in Siora. It's territory is mainly located within the Brigidnian continent, on which the country's seventeen administrative regions are located. Oslanburg shares a land and maritime border with Florinthus in the west, land borders with Galeae and Veinland to the south, Kave to the south east, Ostland and Gehenna to the east, andNerysia to the north east. Through its overseas regions, it also shares a maritime border with both Kortoa and Valland in Ostara. It borders the Laural Sea to the north and the Ranave Bay to the west. It also shares borders with Lanlania through borders with it's overseas regions.

The Constitution of Oslanburg was signed on 5 Martur 1397, ending the absolute monarchy which had begun in 998. It establishes a constitutional monarchy—the current monarch is Arch-King Aerin III— organised as a parliamentary democracy. The government and national parliament are seated in Herlev, the nation's capital, largest city and main commercial centre.

Oslans enjoy a high standard of living and the country ranks highly in numerous comparisons of national performance, including education, health care, protection of civil liberties, democratic governance, prosperity and human development.

Oslanburg is a developed country and is in the world's ten largest economies. It is considered to have a high income economy and a human development indexvery high . It was one of the world's first industrialized nations and a large olonial power in the past age of colonialism, though most of it's possessions were lost over the centuries; either due to war or diplomatic means. Though Oslanburg has still managed to remain a great power , with economic, cultural, and scientific influence globally.

Administrative Divisions

Template:Main Article Oslanburg, has a total area of , and is divided into twenty two administrative regions. Theses regions are further subdivided into 445 municipalities.Twenty of these regions were formed to replace the twenty two former counties. At the same time, smaller municipalities were merged into larger units, reducing the number from 843. Most municipalities have a population of at least 100,000 to give them financial and professional sustainability, although a few exceptions were made to this rule.

Two new regions were added in 1587, with the addition of Hedbjerg, Rusos and Rolihav as one new region, and Isle Vikaris as the other.

The administrative divisions are led by directly elected councils, elected proportionally every four years; the most recent Oslan local elections were held on 1589. Other regional structures use the municipal boundaries as a layout, including the police districts, the court districts and the electoral wards.

Regions

The governing bodies of the regions are the regional councils with fourty-five members elected for four-year terms. The head of the council is the regional council chairman, who is elected by the council. The areas of responsibility for the regional councils are the national health service, social services and regional development. Unlike the counties they replaced, the regions are not allowed to levy taxes and the health service is primarily financed by a national health care contribution of eight per cent combined with funds from both government and municipalities. The wider responsibilities of the counties were transferred to the new, enlarged municipalities.

The area and populations of the regions vary widely; for example, the Capital Region, which encompasses the Herlev metropolitan area, has a population thirty nine times larger than that of the Kallsrad region, which covers the more sparsely populated area of eastern Oslanburg.

Governance

File:Aerin III.jpg

Aerin III Arch-King of the Arch-Kingdom.

The Arch-Kingdom of Oslanburg is a constitutional monarchy, in which Arch-King Aerin III is the head of state. The monarch officially retains executive power and presides over the Council of State (privy council). However, following the introduction of a parliamentary system of government, the duties of the monarch have since become strictly representative and ceremonial (Except in foreign affairs), such as the formal appointment and dismissal of the Prime Minister and other ministers in the executive government. The monarch is not answerable for his or her actions, and the monarch's person is sacrosanct.

Political System

The Oslanburgan political system operates under a framework laid out in the Constitution of Oslanburg. Changes to it require an absolute majority in two consecutive parliamentary terms and majority approval through a referendum (and the referendum majority must constitute at least 55 per cent of the electorate). It has been revised five times, most recently in 1512.

The debating chamber of the national legislature, the Folteking.

The Folteking, ("the people's assembly") is the unicameral national parliament, the supreme legislative body of Oslanburg. In theory, it has the ultimate legislative authority according to the doctrine of parliamentary sovereignty; it is able to legislate on any matter and not bound by decisions of its predecessors. Legislation may be initiated by the government or by members of parliament. All bills passed must be presented before the Council of State to receive Royal Assent within thirty days in order to become law.

Oslanburg is a representative democracy with universal suffrage. Membership of the Folteking is based on FPTP of political parties, which Oslanburgans elect 515 members to the Folketing. Parliamentary elections are held at least every five years, but it is within the powers of the Prime Minister to ask the monarch to call for an election before the term has elapsed. On a vote of no confidence, the Folketing may force a single minister or the entire government to resign.

Dokanen Palace houses the Folteking and Supreme Court.

Executive authority is exercised on behalf of the monarch by the Prime Minister and other cabinet ministers, who head ministries. The position of Prime Minister is allocated to the member of parliament who can obtain the confidence of a majority in the Folteking; this is usually the current leader of the largest political party or, more effectively, through a coalition of parties. A single party generally does not have sufficient political power in terms of the number of seats to form a government on its own.

Judicial System

The judicial system of Oslanburg is a civil law system divided between courts with regular civil and criminal jurisdiction and administrative courts with jurisdiction over litigation between individuals and the public administration.

Articles sixty-two and sixty-four of the Constitution ensure judicial independence from government and Parliament by providing that judges shall only be guided by the law, including acts, statutes and practice.

Military

His Majesty's Armed Forces is a government agency reporting to the Oslanburgan Ministry of Defence and responsible for the peacetime operation of the armed forces of Oslanburg. The armed forces are divided into Army, Air Force, Marines and Navy. The head of the armed forces is the Supreme Commander, the most senior commissioned officer in the country.

The Commander-in-Chief of His Majesty's Armed Forces is the Oslanburgan monarch, Arch-King Aerin III, to whom members of the forces swear allegiance. Under Oslanburgan constitutional law, the armed forces are subordinate to the Crown, however this power is qualified by the requirement for parliamentary consent to the maintaining of a standing army and Parliament's approval of taxation and supply of funds for the armed forces.

The Armed Forces of Oslanburg are charged with protecting the Arch-Kingdom, as well as promoting Oslanburg's wider security interests, and supporting international peacekeeping efforts. The Armed Forces of Oslanburg is a professional force with a strength in 1587 of 563,039 regular and 105,530 volunteer reserve personnel. This gives a combined component strength of 668,569 personnel.

Economy

SL470-80 aircraft. The aircraft manufacturing industry is a sizable segment of the gross exports.

Port of Aetinheim, largest port in the Arch-Kingdom

Oslanburg has a modern, prosperous and developed mixed economy, which is fueled by abundant natural resources, well-developed infrastructure, and high productivity. The Oslanburgan GDP of $3.93 trillion constitutes X% of the gross world product at purchasing power parity (PPP). The country ranks 13th in the world with a GDP per capita at PPP. Oslanburg is also known for hosting one of the leading Brigidnan stock exchanges, the XDM Stock Exchange, which is one of the largest stock exchanges in the region.

The country's social model can be compared to the Nordic models and is characterized by a high tax burden of 38% of GDP, a large public sector workforce, with around a quarter of the total workforce employed by the civil service at the national, regional, and municipal levels, high public expenditures on healthcare and education, and a high level participation in trade unions in a tripartite, corporatist framework. Unemployment is fairly low, at 4.7%.

State investment in industry has been historically significant and remains extant; OUT (broadcasting) and ONTT (passenger rail service) are fully owned by the government, Luft Wurberg (airline) and are former state corporations in which the government still has minority stakes, and before being broken up and privatized in 1536, Dinchruff Consortium was a state owned manufacturing conglomerate that had been created to protect strategic manufacturing concerns during the 1500s. However, Oslanburgan industry is largely in private control. While a large proportion of the economy is controlled by major corporations such as Scholden Luftvaerks, RivendeTog, Vlakass + Voss Heavy Industry, Gunfrud, Gamma Elektronics, ABG Sundal Collier, and Carnegun Bank. The Oslanburgan economy is also marked by the presence of specialised small and medium enterprises.

Oslanburg's largest trading partners are primarily it's neighboring countries in western Brigidna, including Nerysia, Florinthus, Galeae, Aurentine, Gehenna, Holy Lanlanian Empire, Kave and Ostland. Oslanburg also has important trading ties with other Sioran economies, such as Nyland, Drahen, Adwest, Tiejungo, Mestra, and Singan.

Energy

The energy in Oslanburg remains mostly sourced from fossil fuels, with coal having the largest single share. The predominance of coal mostly stems from the presence of this resource in Oslanburg.

Building on this lack of fossil fuels, and the expected depletion of coal sources in the future, the government of Oslanburg has strived for the implementation of alternative sources of power. Not only has it invested significantly in nuclear power, it also runs a significant programme to subsidise renewable energy. With its renewable energy policies, it has gained the support of several major industries and has made progress in substituting some of its fossil fuel energy sources with renewable energy.

As of 1593, Oslanburgan electricity is mostly sourced from nuclear power plants, which provide 55% of power. Another 20% is provided by coal-fired power plants. Renewable energy counts for roughly 20% of the total, with another 5% coming from other fossil fuels (natural gas, oil) and waste. The Ministry of the Environment and Energy has stated that it aims to eliminate the reliance on imported fossil fuels for the generation of electricity by 1600. At the same time, the renewable energy programme, combined with an expansion in the number and capacity of nuclear power stations, will need to significantly reduce coal usage.

Transport

OVT high speed trains

Significant investment has been made in building road and rail links between regions in Oslanburg, most notably the Store Hovedvejk (Great Highway),which makes it now possible to drive from Urola in northern Oslanburg to Indslev in the southern part of the nation without leaving the motorway. The main railway operator is ONTT for passenger services and ONTT Schenker Rail for freight trains. Construction of the Fehmarn Hovedvej, connecting Oslanburg and Ostland with their third major highway link, was started in 1568, with construction construction completed in 1578.

The main international airports in Oslanburg are Docrun Fenru International Airport (82.0 million passengers in 1593), Aetinheim International Airport (24.2 million passengers in 1593), and Vundt-Meticus International Airport (10.9 million passengers in 1593). Oslanburg has a extensive high-speed rail network. As of Vintyr 1593, Oslanburg has a total of 3,200 km of high-speed tracks linking Herlev, Aetinheim, Vundt, Esborg, Kaffau, Essig,Viborg,and other provincial cities with the trains reaching speeds up to 360 km/h (220 mph).

Demographics

According to figures from the National Statistics Office, 94.5% of Oslanburg's population of over 73,916,214 is of Oslan descent (defined as having at least one parent who was born in Oslanburg and having Oslanburgan citizenship). Many of the remaining 5.5% are immigrants—or descendants of recent immigrants—that came mainly from Nerysia, Florinthus, Kave, Gehenna and Oslanburg's current and former overseas territories.

The median age is 36.4 years, with 1.37 males per female. 99% of the population (age 12 and up) is literate. The birth rate is 10.90 total number of live births per 1,000.

Language

The sole official language of Oslanburg is Oslanburgan, a Geinic language most closely relate to Lanlian and Gehennan. Oslanburgan has also been influenced by Florinthian and Kaven languages over the centuries. Between 94 and 96 percent of the population speaks Oslanburgan as their first language with roughly four percent speaking it as an additional language. However, roughly 725,000 people, mostly minority children and first generation immigrants, cannot speak any Oslanburgan or are not fluent in the language. Oslanburgan predominates as the native language except in parts of the rural north, and isolated ethnic enclaves in major cities, and some parts of the Oslanburgan Overseas Territories.

Three minority languages (Florinthian, Kaven and Nerysian) also have official recognition and protections, and municipal level governments have jurisdiction over official languages locally. Presently, municipalities in three regions (Rosdel, Bindslev, and Central Moguun) designate Florinthian as an official language, with two municipalities in the north (Sommer and Visterud) also designate Nerysian as an official language.

Roughly 886,994 (1.2%) speak Nersyian as their first language, with Nersyian speakers being the largest linguistic minority. Other recognized minority languages are spoken by less than one half of one percent of the population. Due to immigration, Oslanburg has become steadily more linguistically diverse since the 1500s, although more established immigrant groups such as the Florinthihans have become largely assimilated. Major immigrant languages today include Singanese, Hoinomese, Teigouese, Laurentian, and Lanlanian.

Religion

As of 1st Alvan 1593, 65.4% of the population of Oslanburg were members of the Church of Oslanburg, the officially established church, which is Daienist in tradition. This is down 4.8% compared to the year earlier and 6.9% down compared to two years earlier. Despite the high membership figures, only 4% of the population regularly attend Sunday services.

St. Comel Cathedral has been the burial place of the royal family since the 10th century.

The Constitution states that a member of the Royal Family must be a member of the Church of Oslanburg, though the rest of the population is free to adhere to other faiths. In 1023 the state granted limited recognition to three religious groups dissenting from the established church: Sentric Church, the Ostrid Church, Makhalism and Akhadism, although conversion to these groups from the Church of Oslanburg remained illegal initially. Until the 1510s, the state formally recognized "religious societies" by royal decree. Today, religious groups do not need official government recognition, they can be granted the right to perform weddings and other ceremonies without this recognition.

Akdatics make up approximately 2.6% of the population and form the country's second largest religious community and largest minority religion. As of 1593 there are nineteen recognized Akhadtics communities in the state. As per an overview of various religions and denominations by the Interior Ministry, other religious groups comprise less than 1% of the population individually and approximately 2.0% when taken all together.

According to a recent poll, 10% of Oslanburgan citizens polled responded that they "believe there is a God", 40% responded that they "believe there is some sort of spirit or life force" and 50% responded that they "do not believe there is any sort of spirit, God or life force".

Education

Education in Arch-Kingdom is compulsory between the ages of 4 and 16, and partially compulsory between the ages of 16 and 18.

All children in Oslanburg usually attend elementary school from (on average) ages 4 to 12. It comprises eight grades, the first of which is optional. Based on an aptitude test, the 8th grade teacher's recommendation and the opinion of the pupil's parents or caretakers, a choice is made for one of the three main streams of secondary education (after completing a particular stream, a pupil may still continue in the penultimate year of the next stream):

• The VMBO has 4 grades and is subdivided over several levels. Successfully completing the VMBO results in a low-level vocational degree that grants access to the MBO.
  • MBO ("middle-level applied education"). This form of education primarily focuses on teaching a practical trade, or a vocational degree. With the MBO certification, a student can apply for the HBO.
• The HAVI has 5 grades and allows for admission to the HBO.
  • HBO ("higher professional education"), are universities of professional education (or applied sciences) that award professional bachelor degrees; similar to polytechnic degrees. A HBO degrees gives access to the university system.
• The VWO (including atheneum and gymnasium) has 6 grades and prepares for studying at a (research) university.
  • Universities offer of a three-year bachelor's degree, followed by a one-, or two year master's degree, which in turn can be followed by a four-year doctoral degree program. Doctoral candidates in Oslanburg are temporary employees of a university.

Health

Healthcare in Oslanburg is delivered through a universal public system that runs on a mixture of private and public funding. Health insurance in Oslanburg is entirely privatized but it is regulated. Providers are not allowed to refuse customers under any conditions. All approved providers are required to have basic health plans which cover emergency and some non-essential hospital treatment. Plans are also capped at a rate of 5% of monthly income. Oslanburg also has a state provided insurance company known as the State Insurance Limited (Oslan: Stat Forsikring Begrænset) which funds hospital and post-hospital treatment and recovery in the event of an accident. The SFB is entirely funded through taxation, with specific accounts for accident specific levies.

Hospitals in Oslanburg are run at the regional level, with each region responsible for the maintenance and funding of public hospitals. Private hospitals exist either on a for profit basis or on a non-profit basis, often run by charities. Regions are also responsible for the provision of emergency medical services outside of private or government provided services.

Private healthcare exists outside of private hospitals. Doctors, general practitioners and other specialists operate independent of the public health system. Also doctors have the ability to treat patients as well as refer them to other specialists. Doctors also prescribe medicines and drugs to patients. Dental care is free in Oslanburg until 18 years of age and all medicines are subsidized by the government.

Culture

Music

There are not many famous Oslanburgan composers; in previous times the nobility preferred foreign composition and there were few schools or specialists inside the country. Modern music has taken on something of an independent development. Urban Oslanburg is a centre of pop in Geinlund and electronic music is also very popular in the nation and its constituent states. Aside from these two genres, rock and folk music is still very popular across the state, as well as jazz.

Cuisine

A tray of Dünderbräd sandwiches.

A Oslanburgan holiday dinner with sliced roast pork, boiled potatoes, red cabbage and brown gravy.

Traditional Oslanburgan cuisine varies widely between regions due to the wide climatic range between southern and northern extremes of the country, but in general has many similarities with with each, with simple, sparsely spiced dishes often involving staples such as butter, herring, milk, pork, potatoes, and rye bread. Since the 1200s, a modern Oslanburgan cuisine has developed with influences from Florinthian cuisine and Bisican and Vikaric ingredients.

Oslanburgan cooking uses meat and fish extensively; while herring, pork, and salmon are perhaps most closely associated with Oslanburgan food, chicken, cod, crayfish, duck, eel, lamb and mutton, pike, trout, venison, and in certain regions whale, are also common. In contrast, per capita consumption of beef is low compared to in many other developed countries. Deer and mutton is traditionally eaten in the autumn and winter, and is more common in the north than the south. In general, southern styles utilize more farmed meat and fresh vegetables while northern styles make more use of (hunting) game and wild berries and greens.

Common Oslanburgan dishes include brünt (pickled and shredded mixed vegetables, often beets, cabbage, and cucumber), Dünderbräd (open sandwiches with toppings such as cold cuts, cheese, smoked fish or meat, hardboiled egg, and vegetables), frigadelle (meatballs), frafluzks (raw, cured salmon), kortael (fried or boiled potato dumplings, usually filled with diced pork), pancake punbelkak (large potato pancakes, sometimes filled with pork and called swinkjötkek), and various sausages, such as dunkurst (a cured sausage made with venison).

There are also many famous regional dishes, such as Aärmgrefe (a sweetened and spiced fried mashed potato dessert) from southern Oslanburg, Gebredön (breaded and fried fish heads) from northern Oslanburg, labsjaus (a hash of corned beef or salt-cured hamhock, beetroot, onions, potatoes, and herring) and pansjol (pan-fried plaice) in many parts of eastern Oslanburg, sulflesjh (salmon skin "bacon") from northern Oslanburg, and whale meat in coastal communities.

Sports

The most popular sports in Oslanburg by both number of participants and viewership are association football and rugby, the former being officially designated the country's national sport. Other popular sports include handball, tennis, motor sports and sailing.

Football (soccer) is the most popular sport in Oslanburg, with over tens of thousands players in more than an estimated 36,000 clubs. This includes both amateur and local clubs. The national football team in Oslanburg have reached high and notable results, like qualifying for the FBFA Brignda Championship eight times in a row (1537–1569) and winning said competition in 1557 and 1569. Though their greatest acheicvement is winning the SIFA World Cup in 1514. Since then they have made two more final appearances, the most recent being in 1570.

The top-league in Oslanburg football is called the Superliga. There are a total of twenty clubs that compete each year. Each club plays each other twice during the regular season, which stretches from Dein to Quarter, which also the same time as most other Brigidnan Leagues. The reigning champions are BK Kaffau of Kaffau, while FC Herlev Costlo of Herlev is the most successful ever club, with 30 top division titles to their name. Famous Superliga players include Konrad Tange, Perat Nolsen, Borus Kitef, Michael Hansen and Mogens Krogh.

The second tier is the Liga En which consists of 20 teams, which was last won by Ostden FC. The third tier of the Oslanburg football pyramid the Liga To which consists of 24 teams, and was lost one by Dulbirk. The fourth tier is the Oslan Serien which is made up of the three leagues of 24 teams each. The last two champions were Duvest Crine(North), Mofet BK (Central) and Blikhes FC (South).