Hôinôm

Hôinôm, officially the Imperial Kingdom of Hôinôm, is an Ostaran country in Siora. Hôinôm shares a maritime border with Tiejungo, land borders with Tieguo to the north, Singan to the east, and Mayari to the south. The Imperial Kingdom of Hôinôm, established in 1521, is a semi-constitutional monarchy ruled by an Emperor or Empress. The government and imperial parliament are seated in Hôi Luỳên, the country's capital. The current head of state of the Imperial Kingdom of Hôinôm is Empress Hông, crowned in 1568.

Etymology

The name Hôinôm is a variant of Nom Hôi (literally "Ancient Land"), a name that can be traced back to the Truong Dinasty of the 6th century BCE. The modern form "Hôinôm" is first recorded in the 1th-century epic poem "Tù Cû Cuâng nai buông". The name has also been found on 12 steles carved in the 9th and 10th centuries, including one at the Môt Không Mountains, in the Màu Vàng province, that dates to 2th century BCE.

Between 1114 and 1137, the name was used officially by Emperor Phùng Vân Chi. It was revived in the early 15th century by Vîng Hùu An's "History of the Ancient Empire", and later by the anti-Oslanburgan Hoinomese nationalist movement. The Constituent Assembly proclaimed "Hôinôm" the official name of the country in 1510.

The form "Hôi language" (Tiêng Hong) is believed to be slightly older. It means literally "Ancient Language", because, according to the Hoinomese mythology, Hôi language is the oldest language in the world. Although there is no such distinction in foreign languages such as Florinthian, in Hôinôm the form "Hôi" is reserved for the national language and ethnic Hôi, while the form "Hoinomese" is used as the official demonym for all the inhabitants of the kingdom, independently of their ethnic group and native language.

History

Three Dynasties Period

Archaelogical excavations revealed the existence of humans in the area that is today Hôinôm as early as the Paleolithic age. Northern Hôi cultures had agriculture and pottery around 20,000 years ago.

According to Hôi mythology, for almosth 3,000 years Ancient Hôinôm was divided in three kingdoms, each of them ruled by a longstanding dinasty. Throught this era, the country encountered many changes, social, economic and political, some being very drastic. Due to the limitation of the written evidence, the main sources of information about the Three-Dynasties Epoch are the many vestiges, objects and artifacts that have been recovered from archaelogical sites, as well as a considerable amount of legends. The period started when several tribal states established in northern Hôinôm, with King Dô Vân Chi grouping all the vassal states at around 4,000 years ago, forming the so-called Western Kingdom. In the next two centuries, another powerful state would be established in northeastern and southern Hôinôm.

This period saw the evidence for an early Hôi calendar system recorded on stone tools and the population from the mountainous areas moved out and began to settle in the open along the rivers and the coast to join the agricultural activities. Hôi explorers are also believed to travel, and even founding some settlements, in nearby islands.

At the end of the 10th century BCE, the Western Kingdom finally subdued the Northern and Southern Kingdoms, which would be eventually conquested and annexed during the rule of the last King of the Dô Dinasty. However, the Western Kingdom would be soon attacked and invaded by Singanese and Tieguonese armies at the end of the century.

Ancient Empire of Hôinôm

A century later, the Truong Dinasty will rise, establishing the foundation of a more powerful state, known as the Ancient Hôi Empire, which capital was originally Triêng Dâm. This period contains some accounts and historical chronicles that mixes up historical facts with legends.

Hôi culture flourished and became more sophisticated. Every spring, a fertility festival was held which featured huge parties and sexual abandon. Religion consisted of primitive animistic cults, but soon local gods appeared, and bigger temples were built. Tools and weapons improved extraordinary in both quantity and variety. Pottery reached a higher level in technique and decoration style. The Hôi people were mainly agriculturists, and wet rice became their main staple diet. During the third century of the Truong Dinasty, the first appearance of bronze tools took place despite these tools were still rare. Rich graves of this time contain some hundred of ritual and personal bronze artifacts such as musical instruments, bucket-shaped ladles and ornament daggers. At the end of the Truong Dinasty, the ancient Hôi people were skilled agriculturalists as they grew rice and kept buffaloes and pigs. They were also skilled fishermen and bold sailors, whose long dug-out canoes traversed the Ostaran Sea. Soon, the Ancient Empire of Hôinôm was able to expand its territory toward both North and South.

Hân Giang valley was not originally part of the Ancient Empire. These lands were inhabited by the Bahmer and Nhmong cultures which developed a distinct culture, even if less developed. Bahmer archeological sites have revealed a considerable used of iron and decorative items made from semi-precious and precious stones such as agate, camelian, amethyst, and pehrite. These cultures also showed evidence of an extensive trade network. During the Quyên Dinasty, a larger Bahmer Kingdom would be established, which would survive at least two or three centuries.

A new kingdom emerged with Truong Nhung proclaiming himself 'Hôi hoàng dê Nôm' (“Hôi King of Kings”). After assembling and army, he defeated and overthrew the local warlords and the Singanese armies. Truong Nhung is believed to have ordered the construction of today Hôinôm's largest city, Nam Dinh. He built many concentric walls around the city for defensive purposes, keeping the capital safe from Northern invaders.

During the Bành and Luông dinasties, the basic nature of Hôi society changed little until the Oslan colonization and conquest, in late 11th century. The Emperor was the ultimate source of political authority, the final dispenser of justice, law, and supreme commander-in-chief of the armed forces, as well the overseer of religious rituals. Administration was carried out by ministers selected from the local nobility. Overall, Hôinôm remained very efficiently and stably governed except in times of war and dynastic breakdown, and its administrative system was probably far more advanced than that of any other Southern Ostaran state. No serious challenge to the emperor's authority arose during those centuries, as titles of nobility were bestowed purely as honors and were not hereditary. Periodic land reforms broke up large estates and ensured that powerful landowners could not emerge. No religious or priestly class ever arose outside the royal court either. This stagnant absolutism ensured a stable, well-ordered society, but also resistance to social, cultural, or technological innovations. Reformers looked only to the past for inspiration.

The Hôi Empire was able to stop Tieguonese expansionism and was able to expand considerably its borders. Despite legends and historical sources talk us about the appearance of several religious prophets and preachers, the Ancient Empire remained as a relatively secular state. Aside from some mining and fishing, agriculture was the primary actitivy of most Hôi population, and economic development and trade were not promoted or encouraged by the state.

Luông Cào's untimely death after a short reign resulted in a power struggle for the throne, the country's first major civil war, which would lead to the end of the longstanding Luông Dinasty. The war lasted from 969 to 991 when the clan led by Kiêu Hùu Cào defeated the other warlords, unifying the country.

Cào proclaimed himself Emperor of Hôinôm, founding the Kiêu Dinasty. He founded the city of Hôi Lùỳên, today Hôinôm's capital, which he proclaimed as the imperial capital in 1001. Emperor Cào introduced strict penal codes to prevent chaos from happening again. He tried to form alliances by granting nobility titles to powerful families from several provinces.

He was succeed by his son Hùng, who would bee assassinated along the crown prince in late 1037. Taking advantage of the situation, Tieguo invaded the northern provinces. Facing such a grave threat to national independence, Regent Phùng Vân Chi took the throne, founding the Phùng Dinasty, the last one of the Ancient Kingdom. A capable military tactician, Chi realized the risks of engaging the mighty Tieguonese army head on; thus he tricked the invading army into Bâc Quôc Pass, then ambushed and killed their commander, quickly ending the threat to his young dinasty in 1039.

Chi was succeed by his son Trai. Emperor Trai's death in early 1088 resulted in infighting for the throne amongst his sons. The eventual winner, Kiêu Công Nhung, became the most notorious tyrant in Hôi history. He devised sadistic punishments of prisoners for his own entertainment and indulged in deviant sexual activities. Toward the end of his short life -he died at 33- Emperor Nhung became so ill that he had to lie down when meeting with his official in court.

Nhung was succeed by his younger brother Vang, who had soon to face Oslan colonial expansion. At first, Vang attempted to resist the Brigidnan power, but after suffering a quickly and devastating defeat, he was forced to sign a humiliating peace agreement in 1104. As consequence, Oslanburg was allowed to found their first settlements in today Northwestern Hôinôm, and the Hôi Empire was forced to pay huge economic compensations to the Geinic colonial kingdom.

After the death of Emperor Vang, a powerful court minister named Phùng Vân Chi forced the new emperor to become a Tenemist monk and married Vang's youngest daughter. The new emperor viciously purged members of the Phùng family. Some Phùng nobles escaped to Tieguo and Singan. After the purge, Phùng Vân Chi had to face a serious social unrest and economic upheaval. He stopped to pay tribute to the Oslan government, which would lead to the Second Oslan-Hôi War. He was forced to abdicate and went to exile, while the Hôi Empire suffered important territorial loses to Oslanburg, which was granted the control of the coastal city and former Hôi capital of Nam Dinh.

The war with Oslan left the Hôi Empire exhausted and bankrupt, and the state was now controlled by a group of local nobles. Although widely blamed for causing disunity and country's independence, Emperor Vang reign actually introduced a lot of progressive, ambitious reforms, including the addition to mathematics to the national examination, the open critique of legalist philosophy, the use of paper currency in place of coins, and land reform. The next years would see the eruption of another long civil war.

In 1133, under the pretext of helping to restore order, Oslan troops invaded and seized Hôi Lùỳên, causing the final collapse of the Ancient Empire, which rest were divided by several warlords, while Tieguo annexed a large territory in the Northeastern lands. The Oslan occupying force annexed Lùỳên and Lânh Hâng provinces after claimiing that there was no heir to the Hôi throne. Hôinom quickly succumbed, and the Nam Dinh Treaty of 1144 ended with Hôi independence. The rest of the territory was divided into several Hôi principalities and city-states, which were de facto loyal to the Oslan administration. Conflicts between those Hôi states usually led to an increase of Oslan borders and colonial lands. The Oslan colonial rule will last until late 1510.

From decolonization to independence

Late 13th and 14th centuries will witness a reinassance of Hôi nationalism. Hôi writers often denounced Oslan rule, claiming that cultural assimilation was being imposed and that the country was ruthlessly exploited. The northern and eastern Hôi principalities became highly unpopular and weak, and social unrest increased in the countryside. In 1367, Oslan rulers had to face a revolt which led to a resistance war. The resistance, under the leadership of Lâ Quang An, at first gained advances, staging an ambush of Oslan troops in the Minh Xân province, which resulted in an unprecedented victory over colonial forces. An's troops seized the nearby province, where at least 5,000 Oslan settlers were massacred. The revolt would be eventually crushed two years later, and Lâ Quang An would be betrayed and killed by some of his own men. A second uprising, led by a wealthy farmer known as Thung Hùu Dinh, between 1462 and 1466 caused more problems to the Oslan rulers. This period inspired many poets and gave rise to some Hôi masterpieces in verse, including the epic poems 'The Tale of Nimh' and 'The Song of an Emperor's Lover', which reflected a growing nationalist feeling, along many satirical and patriotic songs.

In 1477, the Principality of Minh Dâm, in Northern Hôinôm was granted autonomy, which helped to a relative economic development, while in poorer regions Oslan forces and their Hôi allies had to face a small but increasing surge of anti-colonial guerrilla movements. This new generation of nationalist fighters considered that returning to ancient Hôi traditions was not feasible and that modern technology and governmental systems were needed. Having been exposed to Oslan culture, they aimed to establish a republic upon independence, departing from the royalist sentiments of the previous anti-Oslan uprisings.

In 1491, Oslan government promised a gradual decolonization which would lead to a Hôi Federation under a transition government. However, the decolonization process did not start until 1499, when a joint Oslan-Hôi Administration was formed. The last steps of the decolonization happened in 1509. That year, elections for a Constituent Assembly were called, and in late 1510 independence was proclaimed. The last Oslan troops would eventually leave Hôi territory in late 1512.

Independence and Civil War

From 1510 and 1513, the Constituent Assembly was formed mostly by reformers and monarchist deputies. A Provisional Government had been formed in 1510, but it proved unable to solve the differences between the several political parties and factions which dominated the parliament. Prime Minister Lê Vân Châu resigned in 1513, but his successor was not officially appointed. On 8 Treizen 1513, a group of military officers led by Colonel-Lieutenant Kim Vân Viên staged a coup d'etat and proclaimed the Republic of Hôinôm. The young republic proved unstable, weakened by social unrest and the interference of the military in civil government, and conflict between the Republic and nearby Hôi principalities derived in the Hôi Civil War (1515-1519).

Monarchist Restauration: The Imperial Kingdom of Hôinôm

The civil war ended with the defeat of the republican forces by a coalition of conservative warlords and the landed gentry. In late 1519, another Constituent Assembly was called and an united monarchy was proclaimed. Lâm Thâng Duông -a noble from one of the oldest Hôi families which already had ruled the Ancient Kingdom from the 5th to the 7th century- was accepted as a candidate of consensus and crowned as King in 1520. Duông, however, did not plan to share his power, and he imposed his will after a coup d'etat organized by loyal officers. He proclaimed himself as 'Hôi hoàng dê Nôm' (Emperor of Hôinôm) crushing the opposition and ending the autonomy of the former principalities. The new autocratic system proved stable enough, with occasional social unrest, until his death in 1536. He was succeeded by his son Ngông. Unfortunately, stability wouldn't last, and Ngông was killed three years later in a terrorist attack by a member of the Nationalist Party.

Emperor Nguyên's reign and Xuân's Regency (1539-1568)

Now it was the turn of Duông's only brother, Nguyên. Although his reign will be as long as his brother's, he proved to be an incompetent and erratic monarch. He fell back on personal favorites who were looking for their personal gains rather than governing effectively the country. At the same time, he was often a paranoid and capricious ruler, and Prime Ministers were dismissed one after another. Rumours about his private life spread and social unrest, specially in the countryside, increased. In the late 1540s, the Imperial Kingdom was hit by a deep economy crisis, and the situation was chaotic and the collapse of the monarchy seemed likely. Nguyên was forced to promise parliamentary elections (although with limited suffrage) and a new constitution.

Quang Quang Dùc, known for his Liberal inclinations, was appointed as Prime Minister, but social unrest continued. Revolts in the countryside, violent strikes in the cities, and mutinies in the army spread in most of the promises. In Nam Dinh, the second largest city of the Imperial Kingdom, protesters seized several government's buildings, and local elections for a 'democratic council' were demanded. The banned Nationalist Party, along a radical faction of the Liberal Party, gained support and called openly for a democratic government, even for the Emperor's abdication. Fearing a coup d'etat by the reactionary Generals, Prime Minister Quang Quang Dùc accepted the appointment of Diêp Công Duông as Minister of Internal Affairs.

The son of one of the leading military leaders of the Hôi Civil War, Diêp Công Duông was considered a capable civil servant, and respected by the military officers. Dùc hoped he could gain some time with this nomination. The Prime Minister insisted Duông to act inside the lines established by the government, but the lack of an official cabinet gave Duông enough freedom to act independently. On late 1549, after sailors mutinied, Duông crushed the chaotic mutiny, ordering hundreds of executions. He implemented harsher measures, and a campaign of massive arrests began. He sacked numerous governors and broke strikes by organizing citizen replacements, and three weeks later a revolt in the capital city was crushed with the help of the military forces, resulting in 200 protesters killed and more than 3,000 wounded. Shortly afterwards, Quang Quang Dùc resigned as Prime Minister. But the new Prime Minister confirmed Duông as Minister.

Similar crackdowns took place all around the empire. Duông ordered that any unrest was to be crushed without the slightest leniency, instructing officials that the insurgents should be annihilated and their homes burned, anywhere the royal forces faced open confrontation. Duông even accepted the collaboration of radical monarchist groups such as the "Holy Knights", a far-right organization recently formed. Founded by Nghiêm Vân Bào four years earlier, the "Holy Knights" formed a para-military organization, known as the "Brown Shirts", which went as far as killing prominent members of the Liberal opposition. The Holy Knights were a staunch supporter of the House of Lâm and autocratic rule, while exposing a radical version of Hôi nationalism, which blamed foreign influence and liberals for the decadence of the nation. Nghiêm Vân Bào, their leader, liked to say that "to the right of me there is only the wall", and they took their name almost literally, creating cavalry units which patrolled streets and villages in a horse, and typically armed with rifles and a sable. They served as an auxillary unit along the police and military, but where they were at their own they showed their sadistic brutality, killing protesters and beheading revolutionary leaders and revolting peasants. On Ochtyr 1550, after imperial troops bloodily recaptured Nam Binh, the revolution was finally crushed. The repression, though, continued a few months more, leaving a death toll of about 50,000. The Imperial Kingdom was saved, and Diêp Công Duông was appointed as Prime Minister in Alvan 1551.

The days of Nguyên as Emperor were numbered, though. Already bearing a long illness, three days before the birth of his only daughter, on March 3, 1551, he suffered a stroke. He retired from political affairs, and his public appearances became rare. Another stroke, a year later, left him unfited for ruling. Duông became effectively Emperor in the shadow. He strengthened his rule, isolating and demobilizing any active political group, including monarchist ones like the "Holy Knights" and more moderate conservatives, and the government focused in the economic recovery and new public works. Although repression continued, the country seemed living years of development and peace.

Finally, the monarch would pass away on Nueva 1557. Xuân, Emperor Nguyên's fourth wife, was to become Regent until Hông, the only Emperor's daughter, was old enough to be crowned. On Marth 1568, Lâm Thi Hông was crowned as Empress at the age of 16.

Geography

Hôinôm has a total area of 552,662.83 km². It lies between latitudes 8° and 15°S, and longitudes 142° and 154°E.

Hôinôm is bordered in the north and east by Tieguo. Its southeastern border is with Singan, while its southern border is with Mayari. The west lies on the Golden Bay, on the Khivan Ocean.

Vu'ôt Qua, located in the Dâng Hâi Cân province, at an elevation of 4,127 metres, is the highest point of Hôinôm. Many mountain ranges, such as the Bàc Tuông, the Viên Giàp, and the Câu Mám, extend from the northwest to the southwest. There is a minor mountain range in central Hôinôm, the Môt Không Mountains, around the arid lands of the Màu Vàng province. The Môi River flows from the north to the eastern border with Tieguo, crossing the capital Hôi Luỳên, while the Zhou River, one of the longest of southern Ostara, born in Duôi Valley. Both help to irrigate the fertile lands of the eastern provinces, which produce 80% of the Hôinômese agriculture.

Climate

The country lies in the middle between the Southern Tropic and the Equator. Hôinôm climate highly varies from the west and east. The West has mild summers and noticeable cool winters, and, in those areas close to the nearby mountains, some snowfall. The Eastern regions are cooler than the West, featuring a long dry season followed by a short but extremely rainy wet season. The southeastern region lies in the monsoon region of Ostara, with their valleys receiving over 5,000 mm (196.9 in) of rain annually. Annual rainfall along the Zhou River is approximately 2,500 mm (98.4 in), while average annual rainfall in the western coastline is less than 1,000 mm (39.4 in). The southwestern regions of Hôinôm are the coolest, with average temperatures of 20°C. Eastern and southeastern regions have an average maximum temperature of 30°C.

Environment

While forests and jungles cover more than half of Hôinôm's territory, the country continues to perform badly in most global environmental indexes, among the worst in the South Ostaran region, only ahead of Svarna Surya and Mayari. The environmental areas where Hôinôm performs worst are air quality and health impacts of environmental issues, specially in the western cities of Nam Dinh and Bac Duong, the northern Yên Nong province, and the districts around Hôi Luỳên. Hôinôm performs best in environmental impacts of fisheries, but with declining fish stocks. Despite several issues, Hôinôm has managed to improve many positions in the last two decades in environmental effects of the agricultural industry.

Wildlife

Hôinôm's high economic growth and fast industrialization in the last decades have contributed negatively to the preservation of much of its environment and ecosystem, specially in the areas around important and developing industrial urban centers. However, there are large areas in the northern and southeastern regions that have never been cleared or have been disturbed much by people, and which are considered some of the most biodiverse areas of the continent. Forests cover 55% of the country, including areas of acacia, bamboo, ironwood and Magnolia champaca. Coconut and betel palm and rubber have been introduced in the western provinces. In the highlands, oak, pine and various rhododendrons cover much of the law.

Heavy logging since the 1550s has seriously reduced forest acreage and wildlife habitat. The lands along the coast support all varieties of tropical fruits and once had large areas of mangroves although much of the protective mangroves have disappeared. In much of central Màu Vàng province, vegetation is sparse and stunted.

Typical jungle animals, particularly tigers, occur sparsely in Hôinôm. In north Hôinôm, there are rhinoceros, wild water buffalo, clouded leopard, wild boars, deer, antelope, and elephants, which are also tamed or bred in captivity for use as work animals, particularly in the lumber industry. Smaller mammals are also numerous, ranging from gibbons and monkeys to flying foxes. The abundance of birds is notable with over 1,000 species, including parrots, myna, peafowl, red junglefowl, weaverbirds, crows, herons, and barn owl. Among reptile species there are crocodiles, geckos, cobras, Singanese pythons, and turtles. Hundreds of species of freshwater fish are wide-ranging, plentiful and are very important food sources.

Administrative Divisions

The Imperial Kingdom of Hôinôm is divided into 31 provinces, which are gathered into five groups of provinces by location. There also two specially-governer districts, named metropolitan districts: the capital Hôi Luỳên and Nam Dinh. Many of most populated Hôi Luỳên suburbs are counted inside Luỳên Province.

Each province is divided into districts and the districts are further divided into sub-districts. As of 1586 there were 879 districts and more than 5,974 sub-districts. Each province is governed by a Governor, which is nominally appointed by the Emperor or Empress. There is an elected council in each province, but with very limited powers. The first local elections in Hôinôm were held in 1581.

In land area, the largest province is Vân Duông, which runs from the city of Vân Duông to the northern Mai Duông valley. The smallest is Màu Vàng, in southwestern Hôinôm. The most populous region is Nam Dinh metropolitan district, while the least populous is Dâng Hâi Câng, a mountainous province in the remote Câu Mám mountains, with 107,479.

Province/City	Capital / Administrative center	Population	Density (/km²)	% Urban	Region
Hôi Luỳên metropolitan district	Hôi Luýên	4,938,919	3,438	88	Central Hôinôm
Luỳên Province	Miên Luýên	1,816,248	1,031.6	19.0	Central Hôinôm
Xanh Giàp Province	Trâm dam	1,478,489	187.7	51.9	Central Hôinôm
Vâi Nam Province	Tuông	1,465,744	532.1	9.9	Central Hôinôm
Duông Làt Province	Duông Xanh	1,452,998	203.6	14.9	Central Hôinôm
Duông Mihn Province	Mai Duông	1,484,862	221.9	39.9	Central Hôinôm
Biam Hông Province	Khanh Tum	1,529,472	373.1	15.8	Central Hôinôm
Màu Trân Province	Trân Thanh	1,491,235	148.9	39.3	Central Hôinôm
Biên Dôi Province	Dôi Nam	1,559,573	265.9	27.0	Northern Hôinôm
Yên Nông Province	Yên Nông	2,491,765	304	10.4	Northern Hôinôm
Vân Duông Province	Vân Duông	2,231,338	1,152.1	9.7	Northern Hôinôm
Thung Giáu Province	Thung Giàu	1,446,625	236.1	14.6	Northern Hôinôm
Thung Sinh Province	Lùng Sinh	1,510,353	136.3	18.6	Northern Hôinôm
Tuông Nam Province	Tuông Mihn	1,561,336	673.2	13.7	Western Hôinôm
Nam Dinh metropolitan district	Nam Dinh	5,569,827	2,068	49	Western Hôinôm
Giàp Hai Province	Hai Vinh	1,497,608	390.3	19.4	Western Hôinôm
Bâc Duong Province	Bâc Duong	2,211,361	176.5	12.9	Western Hôinôm
Dâng Hâi Cân Province	Hoang Dào	107,479	406.1	9.4	Western Hôinôm
Màu Tinh Province	Tinh Vàng	1,548,590	319.6	17.4	Western Hôinôm
Ham Không Province	Ham Không	1,574,081	1,107.4	17.6	Western Hôinôm
Màu Vàng Province	Màu Vàng	1,631,437	493.9	17.8	Southern Hôinôm
Quang Cai Province	Quang Cai	1,778,011	549.5	29.9	Southern Hôinôm
Minh Xân Province	Minh Xân	1,612,318	406.1	9.4	Southern Hôinôm
Lânh Hâng Province	Lânh Hâng	1,446,625	226.4	20.4	Southern Hôinôm
Sông Lôm Province	Hoa Làk	1,663,301	1,208.1	46.1	Southern Hôinôm
Kêt Nôi Province	Kêt Châm	1,491,235	847.9	65.9	Southern Hôinôm
Trung Hôi Province	Trung Hôi	1,433,880	121.5	37.8	Eastern Hôinôm
Búc Trâng Province	Búc Trâng	1,962,822	421.1	33.2	Eastern Hôinôm
Pha Làm Province	Búc Tuông	1,618,691	246.1	27.7	Eastern Hôinôm
Chiên Chàm Province	Vin Dêng	1,497,608	1,221.3	12.1	Eastern Hôinôm
Tay Lanh Province	Tay Lanh	1,771,638	605.8	28.4	Eastern Hôinôm
Tay Lanh Province	Tay Lanh	1,491,235	316.7	25.6	Eastern Hôinôm
Vin Xuỳên Province	Vin Xuỳên	1,542,217	82.0	28.6	Eastern Hôinôm

Governance

Judicial System

The judiciary of Hôinôm is composed of four distinct systems: the Court of Justice, the Administrative Court, military courts, and the High Court of the Imperial Kingdom of Hôinôm. The current judicial system is organized in accordance with the 1585 Administrive Reform of Hôinôm.

The Ostaran Human Rights Commission, based in Sainam, has called the Hoinomese legal system a "mess" and called for a drastic overhaul of Hôinôm's criminal procedures. It cited the rampant use of forced confessions, and the fact that even a senior justice ministry official admitted that 20 percent of cases went to court with no evidence. No stenographic records are mady by most trial courts and the record is often composed of what the judge decide. It also criticized the judiciary for failing to ensure that trials are conducted speedily.

Since 1585, the amount of trials in military courts have increased. Military courts in Hôinôm restrict the legal rights of suspect in comparison with ordinary courts, allowing death penatly without much control by the High Court.

Research judges assist the sitting judges. Judges must take an examination and two different examinations are given: one exam is for judges trained in Hôinôm and a different examination is given for judges who graduate from foreign law schools. All judges are formally appointed by the monarch.

Royal Court of Hôinôm

The Royal Court of Hôinòm, also known as the Courts of Justice is the largest of the court systems and makes up the majority of courts in the kingdom. The courts as mandated in the law consists of three tiers: the court of first instance, the court of appeals, and the court of last resort, that is, the High Court of the Imperial Kingdom of Hôinôm.

Administrative courts

The administrative court system is composed of two tiers: the administrative courts of first stance and the administrative court of last resort, that is, the High Court. The administrative court system was first created in 1581, the court's main jurisdiction is to settle litigation between the state or an organ of state (government ministries, provincial governments, and state agencies) and private citizens.

Military courts

Military courts were established for first time in 1551, after a royal decree proposed by Prime Minister Diêp Công Duông. While they had a limited function in later decades, their power expanded after the Administrative Reform of 1585, which increased their role in the judiciary system. Military courts judge Hoinomese citizens who have been accused of acts of terrorism, treason, or violent acts against the state or the constitutional order of the kingdom.

There is not much information available on the inner mechanism of these courts, which operate in secret military proceedings. Human rights organizations and critics of the system have argued that they tend to typically operate without being curtailed or reviewed by the usual checks and balances put in place to rein in civilian courts.

This unchecked freedom means that Hôinôm military tribunals, since the 1585 administrative reform, have been operating in a clandestine fashion that is "undoubtedly in gross violation of the basic tenets of international human rights law", the Ostaran Human Rights Commissions claims. Such hearings are typically closed not only to the public but also to the accused's legal counsel, if they even have any, and to their family members. The latter is a common complain logded against the military courts as family members denounce the lack of information given to them over reasons for the arrest and where the accused is being held.

Statistics obtained by human rights organizations show that since their expansion in 1585, military courts across Hôinôm have convited around 567 people. Four hundred and eighty-seven of these convicts allegedly confessed to their crimes. International legal experts have expressed skepticism over what one Singanese law professor referred to as "an artificial and unequivocally engineered confession rate". Human rights organization denounce that such remarkable consistency in securing a confession is troublesome because "there is no way of telling how reliable the confession is and under what circumstances it has been obtained", the Ostaran Human Rights Commission described in their 1586 report.

A large amount of the military trials often result in either long prison sentences or death penalty, with very limited right to appeal to ordinary courts.

The High Court

The High Court of the Imperial Kingdom of Hôinôm, also known as Imperial Court, was created solely as a high court to settle matters pertaining competences within the different court system. The High Court has since then accumulated huge amounts of power and influence, engaging in what critics of the court call polical trials. There have been repeated calls for reform of the High Court because of its politicization.

Foreign Relations

The foreign relations of Hôinôm are handled by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Hôinôm ad the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Imperial Kingdom of Hôinôm.

Hôinôm participates in international and regional organizations such as the Association of East Ostaran Nations. It has developed increasingly close ties with other Ostaran nations and AEON members such as Mayari, Singan, Kortoa, Sainam, and Kazemura. It has also increasingly good relations with other non-Ostaran monarchist countries such as Goldecia, Lomarre, and Adwest. Relations with its former colonial power, Oslanburg, are sometimes tense but generally positive.

In recent years, Hôinôm has taken an increasingly active role on the international stage. It backed international intervention against Juong regime in the Singanese civil war, although it did not intervene activelly, and opposing Severyane and Tieguonese influence in the neighbor country. It also pushed for economic and political sanctions against Svarna Surya, when a coalition of left-wingers and communists take power recently.

The Imperial Kingdom of Hôinôm has often complicated relations and active foreign policy regarding left-wing regimes such as Carpathia and Moldova, Severyane in the past, and more recently with Svarna Surya, and a highly tense foreign relations with the Republic of Tieguo.

Military

The Hoinomese Armed Forces, officially known as the Royal Armed Forces of Hôinôm, are administered by the Ministry of Defense and are composed of the Army, the Navy, and the Air Force. Auxiliary services include the Imperial Guard, the Hoinomese Special Forces and since 1578 the Frontier Forces.

National military service is mandatory for all male Hôinôm's citizens over the age of 18, and they serve four years in the Hoinomese Armed Forces. After the 1581 reform of the military service, women were admited to the Armed Forces for first time. Some distinguished recruits are selected to be trained in order to eventually become members of the Imperial Guard. In 1578-1580, only about 1% of those who refused to serve in the Hoinomese miitary were granted exemption. In the past, the Hoinomese military have been accused of using civilians as forced labour and even human mine-sweepers. Hoinomese Armed Forces has been engaged in a bitter battle with ethnic insurgents in the North and communist guerrilla in the southern border.

Creation of the Armed Forces

At the time of Hôinôm's independence in 1510, the Armed Forces were weak, small and disunited. Cracks appeared along the lines of ethnic and clan background, political affiliation, class origin and different services. Its unity and operational efficiency was further weakened by the interference of civilians and politicians in military affairs, and the perception gap between the staff officers and field commanders. The most serious problem was the tension between Hôm Officers, coming from the nobility and the younger officials, coming from an urban background.

As per Imperial decree No. 1-0155 on 21 Quartyr 1522, the Commander in Chief become Chief of the General Staff, and General Thuong Công Dùng was called to form a "Caretaker Government" and handed over power. Under the leadership of Dùng, several high-ranking and senior officers were dismissed due to their involvement and supporting various political parties and rival warlords. General Dùng would remain Prime Minister for 14 years. All political parties were banned and many ministers were military officers. Government servants underwent military training and the Military Intelligence Office functioned as the secret police of the state. Under Dùng's government, the Armed Forces were expanded, specially the Army and the recently created Imperial Guard.

General Pham Thàng Quyên was in charge of drawing up a new defense doctrine and start of a modernisation programme for the Armed Forces. The new military doctrine was a reflection of sensitivity towards the threat of direct foreign invasion. Also, the Hoinomese leadership was concerned that foreign powers might arm insurgents on the border to exploit the political situation and tensions in the country. This new threat perception led to Quyên to review the defense capability and doctrine of the Armed Forces. With the new defense doctrine, the role of the Armed Forces was defined as a "modern, strong and highly capable fighting force".

Royal Hoinomese Army

The Hoinomese Army has always been by far the largest service and has always received the lion's share of Hôinôm's defense budget. It has played the most prominent part in Hôinôm's struggle against insurgents and internal threats and acquired a reputation as a tough and resourceful military force. Hôinôm's infantry is generally rated as one of the toughest, most combat seasoned in Southwestern Ostara, and it has a more influential role that other branches of the military.

Hôinôm Air Force

Personnel: 25,000 (1580)

The Hôinôm Air Force was formed on 28 Vintyr 1504, while Hôinôm was still under Oslan rule. The primary mission of Hôinôm Air Force since its inception has been to provide transport, logistical, and close air support to Hôinôm Army in counter-insurgency operations. The Hôinôm Air Force uses mostly technology from Oslanburg and Drahen.

Hôinôm's Imperial Navy

The Imperial Navy is the naval branch of the forces of Hôinôm with estimated 18,000 men. The Hôinôm Navy was formed in 1540 and, although very small, plays an active part in guarding the Golden Bay. The Imperial Navy currently operates more than 130 vessels. In recent years, it has been dramaticaly expanded to provide blue water capability and external threat defense role in Hôinôm's territorial waters, being considered an important factor in Hôinôm's national security.

Human rights abuses

• Forced labour - According to the Institute for Development and Democracy several hundred thousand men, women, children and elderly people are forced to work against their will by the Hoinomese Army. Individuals refusing to work may be victims of torture, rape or murder. International human rights organization have continuously called on Hôinôm to end the practice of forced labour since the 1570s.

• Torture and rape - A 1574 report by the Asakura Human Rights Foundation details 202 incidents of rape and other forms of sexual violence, involving 402 girls and women, committed by Hoinomese army troops in Vân Duông province, mostly between 1564 and 1572. The authors note that the figures are likely to be far lower than the reality. According to the report, "the Hoinomese military...is allowing its troops systematically and on a widespread scale to commit rape with impunity in order to terrorize and subjugate the ethnic peoples of the province". The Hoinomese government denied such claims, and claimed that the report was biased and based in unconfirmed testimonies. However, the Ministry of Defense announced an internal investigations in 1578, after similar violations were denounced in a nearby province.

• Child soldiers - According to human rights organizations, the forceful recruitment and kidnapping of children into the military is commonplace in the northeastern provinces. An estimated 20,000 of the country’s 450,000-500,000 soldiers are children. There are also multiple reports of widespread child labour.

Economy

Until the mid-16th century, Hôinôm's economy was tied closely to Oslanburg and Tieguo. The largest economic sectors are mining, agriculture, manufacturing, and tourism.

Hôinôm has a young but highly developed banking sector with modern infraestructure, such as online banking and cellphone banking. The Hôinômese Imperial Bank is the central bank of Hôinôm responsible for performing all other functions ordinarily performed by a central bank. The Chairman of the Hôinômese Imperial Bank is directly appointed by the monarch, upon consultation with the Prime Minister. There are five authorised commercial banks in Hôinôm: Tiên Bank, Hôibank, Trung Cài Bank, Royal Enterprises Bank, and Nhiêm Bank.

According to the Royal Statistics Office Report 1584, the country's unemployment rate is 10.8%. "Strict unemployment" (people actively seeking a full-time job) stood at 8.4% in 1580 and spiraled to 9.1% in 1582. In 1580, a labour law was passed to protect people from job discrimination stemming from pregnancy and chronic illness. In early 1584, the spokesperson of the national government announced that "100 per cent of all unskilled and semi-skilled should be sourced, without exception, from within Hôinôm.

In 1582, The Financial magazine named Hôinôm the top emerging market economy in South Ostara, rating ahead of Singan, Mayari, Kortoa, and Svarna Surya. Worldwide, Hôinôm also fared better than Maurnnia, Volta, New Galasia, West Kaljurand, South and North Kolhar, and New Zealmark. In order to attract foreign investment, the government has made improvement in reducing excessive government regulations making the country one of the least buraucratic places to do business in the region. However, facilitation payments are occasionally demanded by customs due to cumbersome and costly customs procedures.

Taxation in Hôinôm includes personal income tax, which is applicable to total taxable income of an individual and all individuals are taxed at progressive marginal rates over a series of income brackets. The value added tax (VAT) is applicable to most of the commodities and services.

Despite the remote nature of some of its northern and central regions, Hôinôm has seaports, airports, highways, and railways. The country seeks to become a regional transportation hub, and a top manufacturing industrial economy.

Agriculture

About half of the population still depends on agriculture (largely subsistence agriculture) for its livelihood. Although the country has highly industrialised in recent decades, the majority of Hôinôm's people live in rural areas and exist on a subsistence way of life. Hôinôm has one of the highest rates of income inequality in the region.

Mining and electricity

Providing 15% of Hôinôm's revenue, mining is the third most important contributor to the economy, only after manufacturing and agriculture.

Electricity is generated mainly by thermal and hydroelectric power plants. Non-conventional methods of electricity generation also play some role.

Tourism

Tourism is a major contributor to Hôinôm's GDP, creating tens of thousands of jobs directly or indirectly and servicing over six million tourists per year. The government hopes that the 1584 Women's World Cup will contribute to increase the number of tourists in the coming years.

The most visited places include the capital city of Hôi Luỳên, the central mountainous region, the western coastal Bàc Duông, and Nam Dihn.

Hôinôm's primary tourism related governing body, the Imperial Tourism Board of Hôinôm was established in 1580. Its primary objectives are to regulate the tourism industry and to market Hôinôm as a top tourist destination in Ostara. There are also a number of trade associations that represent the tourism sector in Hôinôm, such as the Federation of Hôinôm Tourism Associations, the Association of Hôinômese Travel Agents, and the National Car Rental Association of Hôinôm.

Water supply and sanitation

A report from 1578 shows that Hôinôm has improved its water access network significantly since the mid-1550s. A large part of the population in the southeastern regions can not, however, make use of these resources due to the prohibitively high consumption cost and the long distance between residences and water points in rural areas. Compared to the efforts made to improve access to safe water, Hôinôm is lagging behind in the provision of adequate sanitation in the countryside, which rural schools often lacking toiler facilities.

Apart from residences for upper and middle class households, sanitation is insufficient in most rural areas. Private flush toilets are too expensive for virtually all residents in townships due to their water consumption and installation cost. As a result, access to improved sanitation has not increased much in the countryside. Many of Hôinôm's inhabitants have to resort to "flying toilets", plastic bags to defecate which after use are flung into the jungle. The use of open areas close to residential land to urinate and defecate is very common and has been identified as a major health hazard.

Demographics

The official population of the Kingdom of Hôinôm is 63,727,993, according to the Office of Statistics from the Ministry of Economy. However, the official results of the 1586 census, published by the Ministry of National Security, show that the total population of Hôinôm is 55,907,305. The 1586 census did not include 5,021,786 persons in parts of the northern and eastern provinces who were not counted. More females (51.4%) were counted than males (47.8%). People who were out of the country at the time of the census are not included in these figures as well.

The 1586 census results indicated that there were 11,119,464 households in Hôinôm. On average, 4.1 people lived in each households in the country. The average household size was highest in the northern provinces at 5.8. The lowest household sizes were observed in Nam Dinh, Bâc Duông, and Luỳên region, each at 3.4.

Hôinôm has a low fertility rate (2.18 in 1586), slightly above replacement level, specially as compared to other South Ostaran countries of similar economic standing, like Svarna Surya and Singan, representing a significant decline from 4.8 in 1550 to 3.1 in 1580, despite the absence of any national population policy. The fertility rate is much pronouncdedly lower in urban areas. This is attributed to extreme delays in marriage in those urban areas, the prevalence of illegal abortions, and the high proportion of single, unmarried women of reproductive age (with 24.4% of women aged 30-35 and 34.4% of men and women aged 25-29 single) compared to rural areas. These patters stem from several cultural and economic dynamics. The first is economic hardship, which results in the delay of marriage and family-building. The second is the social acceptance of celibacy compared nearby countries, probably motivated to a rather secularized education system.

Ethnic groups

The Hoinomese government identifies five major national ethnic races (which comprises 56 "distinct" ethnic groups), which include the Hoinomese (81%), the Nhmong (7%), the Bhmer (5%), Tieguonese (2%), and Kaymine (1%). However, the government classification system is probably flawed, as critics argue that it groups ethnic groups by geography, rather than by linguistic or genetic similarity (e.g. the Mane ethnic group are under the Nhmong ethnic group, although they are a Ran-Tieguonese sub-group).

Unrecognised ethnic groups include the Singanese and Taosheg ethnic groups, who form 3% and 1% of the population respectively. The remaining of the population belong to small ethnic groups such as the the remnants of the Oslan-Hoinomese communities, as well as Ostaran minorities in the main Hoinomese industrial towns.

Language

The official language and primary medium of instruction of Hôinôm is Hôi language (89%). Multiple languages are spoken in Hôinôm, and include Nhmong language (5.9%) and Bhmer (3.7%). Oslan language is also spoken, particularly by the educated urban elite and the nobility, and is the secondary language learnt in government schools. In recent years, there have been an increased interest in Sainamese, Kazemuran, and Tieguonese languages, which are gained ground as most popular foreign languages to the colonial Oslan language.

Religion

Hôinôm is a multi-religious country. There is no official state religion, but the government shows preference for traditional Hoinomese folk religion, a religious tradition which includes veneration of forces of nature and ancestors, exorcism of harmful forces, and a belief in the rational order of nature which can be influenced by human beings and their rulers as well as spirits and gods.

Before independence and during Oslanburgan colonial rule, Messanism, in its Daienist branch, was the official religion, but it lost the status of state religion in 1538.

Mai worship is common in Hôinom. Mai are named spirits and shrines can be seen around the country, either standing alone, or as part of Hoinomese temples. Mai worship originated in Tieguo and there is a recognized pantheon of 44 Mai spirits.

Religious group	Population  % in 1540	Population  % in 1569	Population  % in 1584
Traditional religion	55.4%	69.1%	70.6%
Messanic	33.2%	22.8%	19.7%
Faith	6.4%	5.7%	6.1%
Akhadism	n/a	0.2%	1.2%
Tribal religions	4.2%	1.8%	0.4%
Other religions	0.8%	0.4%	0.2%
Not religious	n/a	n/a	1.8%

Culture

Hôinôm's culture has developed over the centuries from indegenous ancient Hôi culture with wet rice agriculture as its economic base. Some elements of the national culture have Tiegonese origins, while Oslan colonialism (12th century-1510) had a deep impact as well. Hoinomese society is structured around ancestral villages and family clans. The influences of immigrant people -such as the Tieguonese, Mayari, and Singanese cultures- can also be seen, while the traditional Hoinomese folk religion is strongly entwined with popular culture.

In modern era, the cultural life of Hôinôm has been deeply influenced by government-controlled media and cultural programs. Since the 1550s, the government has tried to portray Hoinomese culture as highly entwined with the monarchist system reestablished in 1519.

Media

Media sector is regulated by the government and there is enforced censorship by the Ministry of National Security. Although Bûi Quang An's government (1579-1582) introduced some reforms aimed to liberalize the sector and increase freedom of press, it is generally perceived that the national government has a strong influence in the media sector, though some newspapers are relatively outspoken, always that they are not critical against the monarchy as such.

The Royal Broadcasting Company (RBC) is the official state-run national radio and television broadcasting service. There is only a private television channel nationwide, besides the television channels run by the Royal Broadcasting Company.

Since 1585, Hôinôm has extensively regulated public online access, using both legal and technical means, with a political censorship to be "pervasive". The Asakura Human Rights Foundation classified Hôinôm as one of the worst countries in Ostara in their internet freedom ranking, only slightly above countries such as Tieguo, Ishnalla and Akitsu. The Hoinomese government argues that the national government has the duty to safeguard the country agaisnt obscene or sexually explicit content through its blocking efforts, but in fact many politically and religiously sensitive websites are also banned.

Music

Traditional Hoinomese music varies between the country's western and eastern regions. Western classical music is Hôinôm's oldest musical form, and is traditionally more formal. Throughout its history, Hôinôm has been most heavily impacted by the Tieguonese musical tradition.

Literature

Hoinomese literature has a centuries-deep history. The nation has a rich tradition of folk literature, based on the typical 6-to-8-verse poetic form named Cà Dâo, which usually focuses on village ancestors and heroes. Written literature has been found dating back to the 4th century. Some literary genres play an important role in theatrical performance. Hoinomese literature has in recent times been influenced by Brigidnan styles, mostly Oslanburgan literature, with the first literary modernist movement - Jang Môi - emerging in the late 15th century.

Festivals

Hôinôm has many festivals based on the lunar calendar, the most important being the Ancient New Year celebration. Traditional Hoinomese weddings remain widely popular, and are often celebrated by expatriate Hoinomese in foreign countries.

Tourism

Hôinôm has become a major tourist destination in recent years, assisted by significant state and private investment, particularly in coastal regions and the capital, Hôi Luỳên. About 5 million international tourists visited Hôinôm in 1585 alone.

Popular tourist destinantions include the capital Hôi Luỳen, the western city of Nam Dinh -the largest city in the country, and the so-called cultural capital of Hôinôm, the western coastal region of Bàc Duông, the caves nearby Yên Nông and the Duôi Valley. Numerous tourist projects have been built in recent years, specially before the 1584 Women's Football World Cup.

Sport

Martial arts are widespread in Hôinôm, while football has become the country's most popular team sport. The Hôinôm women's national team reached quarterfinal in the Women's World Cup of 1584, held in Hôinôm, and reached the final of the Ostaran Cup for first time two years later. Other sports, such as baseball, basketball, volleyball, and ping-pong, are also widely popular.

Cuisine

Hoinomese cuisine traditonally features a combination of five fundamental taste elements: spicy (metal), sour (wood), bitter (fire), salty (water), and sweet (earth). Common ingredients include fish sauce, shrimp paste, soy sauce, rice, fresh herbs, fruits and vegetables. Vietnamese recipes use lemongrass, ginger, mint, mint, cinnamon, dog's kidney chili and bamboo. Traditional Hoinomese cooking is known for its fresh ingredients, minimal use of oil, and reliance on herbs and vegetables, and is considered one of the healthiest cuisines worldwide.

In eastern Hôinöm, local foods are often less spicy than western dishes, as the colder northern climate limits the production and availability of spices, and sea food is rare. The use of such meats as pork, beef, and chicken was relatively limited in the past, and as a result freshwater fish, crustaceans and mollusks became widely used. Fish sauce, soy sauce, prawn sauce, and limes are among the main flavoring ingredients. Many signature Hoinomese dishes originated in the east and were carried to south and western Hôinôm by migrants.