NationStates Jolt Archive

The Kingdom of Free Farmers

History
The Kingdom of Free Farmers has a long and success filled history. 10 thousand years ago on a planet similar in size and distance from the sun to the Earth a race of humans developed. Here they made their home, on a giant continent about the size of Asia, Europe, South America and Africa combined. There was two much smaller continents, one to the south and one to the east, but they were thought to be uninhabited by humans at this time. The humans first banded together into hundreds of rival clans, but eventually two major groups were formed. The two groups lived together peacefully for thousands of years, developing much technology while respecting the environment around them. But around the earth year 1458 AD one group began destroying the environment to prosper. The second group, having been peaceful for thousands of years did not want a war, but urged the rival group to stop the destruction of the environment or risk consequences. The other group refused to give up their policies and war broke out. The two groups battled for over two hundred years before the second was finally victorious. And thus the First Kingdom was established. The First Kingdom was prospering greatly for half a century, before destructive policies caused more strife. The First Kingdom during these 50 years of greatness had begun to turn its back on the agriculture of the Kingdom, preferring industrial success. Soon the farmers of the planet united and rebelled against the King. The war did not last long, a mere 5 years, because the farmers were a large majority of the population. This time no chances were taken, and a representative government was established, but they kept a King as a ceremonial figure. Thus the Kingdom of Free Farmers was born. Since then an age of peace, prosperity, and progress has taken hold in the planet. In the year 1795, a socialist system was officially established, although the people of the Kingdom had long practiced the socialist lifestyle. In the year 1947, after years of damage done, motor vehicles were banned. This set a precedent for future policies, they would always think of the environment before anything. In the year 1978 the PTS (Personal Transport System) was created, making travel around the planet faster than ever before, and the first reasonable way to travel across the Kingdom since the abolishment of cars. In the year 2012 genetic engineering techniques were mastered, and almost all combinations are possible. In the year 2017 hyperspace travel was discovered, allowing massive distances to be traveled in space. But this was largely ignored, as more worldly pursuits were put ahead of space sciences. But the Farmers have discovered that there is indeed humans on other planets, and now have contact with them, opening new doors possibly. A small group of people have been found to be living in the Southern continent, which was thought to be uninhabited. They have their own nation and have refused to join the Kingdom, despite the many benefits it would have for them.

Geography

Location
Mondo of Árvores (World of Trees)

Area
Total
521 million square km
Land
146 million square km
Water
375 million square km

Area - comparative
Land area is about 15 times larger than the United States

Climate
The largest continent has two large temperate climate zones with a relatively small tropical zone in-between. The southern continent has a predominately polar climate, with a small temperate zone in the northern areas. The eastern continent has a completely tropical climate.

Terrain
Mostly flatlands cover the main and eastern continent, the southern being very mountainous. The northern part of the main continent has several large mountain ranges.

Elevation extremes
lowest point
Land: Fire Valley (-4,250 meters)
Oceanic: Feast of Fishes (-10,120 meters)
highest point
Raven’s Peak (21,376 meters)

Land use
arable land
23%
permanent crops
12%
Other
65%
Irrigated land
236 square km (The many rivers, lakes, and streams found throughout the the Kingdom make irrigation almost completely unnecessary)

Natural hazards
Forest fires started by lightning could kill tens of thousands and are the most hazardous natural disaster possible. Volcanic eruptions occasionally occur in the northern mountain ranges and much more rarely in the southern continent.

Environment - current issues
None due to the great care and protection humans have had for their environment.

Environment - international agreements
party to
National law and tradition calls for the protection of the environment, especially the forests. There are strict regulation on all things that could cause any damage to the environment. As such the Independents in the South were forced to sign a treaty with the Kingdom to stop damage to the environment.

Geography - note
The planet is considered to be about 2 billion years old, a young planet by the standards of planets that are known.

People

Population
Currently estimated at 512 million

Age structure
0-14 years
23%
15-64 years
63%
65 years and over
14%

Sex ratio
at birth
1.08 males/female
under 15 years
1.07 males/female
15-64 years
1.02 males/female
65 years and over
1.00 male/female

Infant mortality rate
1.18 deaths/1000 live births

Life expectancy at birth
total population
90.4 years
Male
89.2 years
Female
91.6 years

Total fertility rate
2.2 births/woman

Nationality
Noun
Farmer(s)
Adjective
Farmers

Ethnic groups
73% People of the Trees
26% Rivermen
>1% Ice People
>1% Peak Dwellers

Religions
64% Golden Cows
34% Treetops
2% Peak Perches

Major Languages
Forest Tongue (official)
Wheat Speak (official)
Ician (official)

Literacy
Definition
Age 14 and over can read and write in at least one official language
total population
95%
Male
94%
Female
98%

Government

Country name
conventional long form
Kingdom of Free Farmers
conventional short form
Free Farmers
local long form
Second Kingdom of the Dirt
local short form
Second Kingdom
Former
First Kingdom of Free Farmers
Abbreviation
Kingdom of FF

Government type
Democratic Social Kingdom:
A state that has adopted democratic ideals such as universal suffrage and popular sovereignty and a socialist economic system. This government also has a King, who serves mostly as a ceremonial figure, all the power rests with the elected leaders.

UN Category
Democratic Socialist

National Animal
Cow

Currency
Officially none, but Ravens serve as the common currency

National Motto
"Think of thy neighbor before thyself"

Capital
City of the Golden Cow

Administrative divisions
Plantations are the smallest level of division
Forests are the second level of division
Fliers are the largest level of division
Each of these has a local government of its own. Each must respect the laws of the larger division it is a part of.

Independence
April 11, 1710 AD (Founding of the Second Kingdom)

National holidays
April 11- Independence Day
February 17- Day of the Steer
September 23- Raven’s Flocking
December 17- Red Day

Constitution
April 11, 1710 AD (Constitution written and published)
December 17, 1795 AD (Constitution officially mandates socialism)

Legal system
Federal and local overlapping court system. Federal and local courts share power when an event violates local law, federal courts alone control all federal hearings.

Suffrage
24 years old, universal*
*if it is determined that you are not fit to vote (You are mentally retarded, mentally ill, and/or illiterate in all official languages) you lose your right to vote in any and all elections until you can meet the proper requirements.

Executive branch
chief of state
King Mortillaro VI (2016)
head of government
Fredrick Jasper, Senior Supreme Councilman (2008)
Cabinet
Cabinet appointed by the Supreme Council, approved by the King
Elections
The crown is hereditary; The Supreme Council is elected by the Governorship Council, a new election occurs once every 2 years. The most senior member of the Supreme Council is automatically the Senior Supreme Councilman (head of the Supreme Council)

Legislative branch
Bicameral system (Forest Council and Governorship Council), each Council separate in lawmaking, but both need approval from the Supreme Council before a law is put into effect.
Elections
Elections for the Governorship Council once every 4 years. The representatives are directly elected by a popular vote in each flier.
Elections in the Forest Council occur once every 3 years. The representatives are nominated by the Leaf Holder (In the US would be called a “governor”) of each Forest, and the population votes for their choice. One Councilman per Forest regardless of population.

Judicial branch
The Gray Stone is the highest court in the land, a federal court made up of 15 appointed justices. Each Justice is nominated by the second highest group of courts called the Black Stones, and approved by the Supreme Council, the King, and the Forest Council. Gray Stone Justices serve for life, barring resignation or discharge from office.
Other courts, local and federal, carry out the day to day duties of the judicial branch; the Gray Stone hears at most 100 cases per year.

Political parties and leaders
Brown Party (Fredrick JASPER); Blue Party (Desycates KLLHELI); Scientist Party (Leslie MARCUS)

Flag description
A Green background with a red stock of wheat (left center) and a red sickle (right center). The green background represents the commitment to the environment and the importance of the forests and grasslands to the nation. The stock of wheat and the sickle represent the number one industry of the nation, agriculture. The red that the wheat and the sickle have represent the socialist system and the blood that was lost gaining independence from the First Kingdom.

Government - note
The King holds little actual power in the government, and serves mainly ceremonial purposes. But the King does hold great sway on all branches of government because of his popularity with the people, and often his official endorsements will be a deciding factor in the outcomes of elections.

Government- Additional Facts

National Languages
All major languages used throughout the Kingdom make up the official listing as of 1974 (Previously only Forest Tongue and Wheat Speak were official, in 1976 with the sizable population, 12% of total, of Ician speakers, it became an official language). They are, in order of most prevalent (inside of parentheses is the percentage of the population that is fluent in the language): Forest Tongue (91%), Wheat Speak (28%), and Ician (14%). There are various dialects of each language used throughout the Kingdom. In some areas there are other languages spoken, but no other language has more than 2% of the population that is fluent in it. All official documents, all schools, all official signs are printed in all three languages.

National Holidays
On these days all businesses close down, all citizens are off work, all schools are closed, to observe the important dates of the Farmers history. On each of these days the capital city, City of the Golden Cow, holds a massive celebration appropriate to the holiday. Many other cities hold similar celebrations on these festive days.

Taxes
With the recent passing of the 100% income tax law actual currency has become obsolete and the government now provides all citizens with a certain amount of work value slips, called Ravens, which can be used to purchase things from the government, which controls most goods.

Private Property
There is a complete lack of private property. All land, housing, businesses, factories, farms, everything is owned by the government. This also means that inheritance is not possible, as there is nothing to pass on.

Voting
Voting is encouraged, but strictly voluntary, and citizens may vote upon becoming an adult (24 years of age) unless the citizen is determined to be unfit to vote because of mental retardation, mental illness, or being illiterate in all official languages.

National Government Positions, Election Rules, and Requirements

King- The Kingship is passed down from father to son, the first born son becoming the King upon the King’s death. Should the King outlast his first born son, the second born son becomes King, and so on. In the event that the King dies with no son to inherit the throne, the eldest nephew of the King assumes the throne. In the rare event that the King has no sons or nephews, the closest (and eldest) male relative takes over the Kingship. The King is required to have a wife, and the wife becomes the Queen. The Queen’s sole official duty to the nation is to produce at least one male child to take over the throne when the eventual death of the King comes. Note: In the event that a new King can not perform his duties because of one or more of the following reasons he is to be replaced by an appointed figure (appointment from the Supreme Council) who meets the requirements until he is fit to be King, and should the condition be without possible or wanted remedy the order of succession begins. Conditions preventing a King from carrying out his duty: Under the age of 16, mentally retarded or mentally ill, homosexual, drug abuse, previously convicted of a high crime, illiterate and/or not fluent in any of the official languages, physically unfit to represent the people (deaf, blind, mute, dwarfism, unable to use all limbs, unable to stand and/or walk, and other things of that nature), or not born on Mondo of Árvores.

Supreme Council(wo)man- The position of Supreme Council(wo)man is attained by being appointed by the Governorship Council every 2 years. To become a Supreme Council(wo)man you must be a citizen of the Kingdom, at least 45 years old, have been born on Mondo of Árvores, have lived inside the Kingdom for at least 25 years, have been previously elected to a national government position, and currently live inside of the Kingdom. The most senior member of the Supreme Council becomes the Senior Supreme Council(wo)man and the leader of the Council. The Council is comprised of 5 persons. If a Council(wo)man dies, is removed from office, or resigns an emergency election for the new Council(wo)man must be held within 3 months of the position being vacated.

Governor- The position of Governor is attained by popular election in each Flier. The number of Governors per Flier is based on population. Every 4 years new Governors are elected, and the Council name is changed (i.e. the original Council was called the First Council; the next was called the Second Council). To become a Governor you must be a citizen of the Kingdom, at least 24 years old, have lived inside the Kingdom for at least 10 years, and currently live in the Flier from which you were elected. The Governorship Council has 500 Governors, and those positions are divided between Fliers based on population. Each Flier is guaranteed at least 1 Governor to represent them. If a Governor position become open during a Council, due to death, resignation, or removal from office there are three possible courses of action. If this opening comes with 2 or more years left in the term of the Governor an emergency election in the home Flier of the ex-Governor will be held within 6 months. Should less than 2 years but more than 2 months of a Governor’s term be left the Grand Raven of the Governor’s home Flier shall appoint a new Governor. Should less than two months be left in the Governor’s term it will remain vacant until the next election.

Bringer of Leaves- The position of Bringer of Leaves is attained by nomination by the Leaf Holder and then popular election in the respective Forest. Elections occur every 3 years and each Forest gets one and only one Bringer of Leaves regardless of population. To become a Bringer of Leaves you must be a citizen of the Kingdom, at least 27 years old, have lived inside the Kingdom for at least 14 years, and currently live in the Forest from which you are elected. If a position comes open during the term of a Bringer of Leaves due to death, resignation, or removal from office there are three possible courses of action. If there is one year or more left on the term of the representative then an emergency election is held within two months of the opening’s arrival. If there is less than one year but more than two months, then the Leaf Holder appoints a new Bringer of Leaves and skips the election process. If there is less than two months left in the term then the position will remain open until the next election.

Gray Stone- The Gray Stone is the highest court in the land and sits in the capital city. The Gray Stone hears at most 100 cases per year, and is made up of 15 appointed Justices. To attain the position of Gray Stone Justice one must be nominated by the Black Stones (a collection of 5 courts just beneath the Gray Stone in the order of judicial supremacy) and then approved by the Supreme Council (two thirds), the Forest Council (majority), and the King (if both Councils approve the Justice and the King does not then the King can be overridden by a unanimous Supreme Council vote and a two thirds Forest Council vote). To become a Gray Stone Justice you must be a citizen of the Kingdom, at least 50 years old, have lived in the Kingdom for at least 35 years, have been born on Mondo of Árvores, have previously been a judge or justice on another federal court, currently live inside the Kingdom, and not be a registered member of any political party. Gray Stone Justices serve for life, barring resignation or removal from office.

Black Stone and Other Federal Courts- Federal judges and justices are always chosen in the same way, nomination from the court directly lower in the chain of judicial supremacy, the lowest courts being chosen by popular election. They must always be approved by the Supreme Council, the Forest Council, and the King, the percentage of each Council in favor needed for approval varies somewhat in the top parts of the judicial branch but the majority of the judges and justices need to only secure 40% of the Council’s votes. Judges and justices always serve for life, barring resignation or removal from office. Besides the Gray Stone they all have the same qualifications required: You must be a citizen of the Kingdom, at least 30 years old, have lived in the Kingdom for at least 14 years, not be a registered member of any political party, and currently live within the jurisdiction of your court (Black Stones and the Gray Stone have jurisdiction over the entire Kingdom, lower courts have divisions, normally using administrative lines. I.e. Fliers, Forests, Plantations)

Coming of Age Laws
Legally An Adult- 24 years old
Alcohol Use Age- Without parental permission you must be at least 24 years old, with permission you must not be younger than 8 years old. (Note: alcohol may only be consumed inside of your own home or in designated alcohol drinking areas. Being caught under the influence of alcohol in public carries the same penalty as being caught under the influence of recreational drugs in public)
Alcohol Purchase Age- 24 years old
Tobacco Use Age- 18 years old with parental permission, 24 years without (Note: tobacco in all forms is considered a recreational drug and laws apply to it as such)
Tobacco Purchase Age- 24 years old
Marriage Age- 20 years old
Gambling Age- 16 years old with parental permission, 22 years old without
Drop Out of School Age- 18 years with parental permission, 24 years without (Note: School in the Kingdom of Free Farmers is free but mandatory from the ages of 3-24 years old unless one decides to drop out)
Abortion Age- No age requirement with parental permission, 18 years old without
Military Service Age- Volunteers are accepted any time above 16 years old as long as they have the physical ability needed to be in the military. Conscription is possible from the ages of 24-65 years old.
Class A Recreational Drugs- (This refers to the least dangerous types of drugs as rated by the RDRA, drugs such as marijuana and benzodiazepines) 16 years old with parental permission, 18 years old without
Class B Recreational Drugs- (This refers to the middle ground of types of drugs as rated by the RDRA, drugs such as ecstasy and crystal meth) 20 years old with parental permission, 24 years old without.
Class C Recreational Drugs- (This refers to the highest, most dangerous type of drugs as rated by the RDRA, drugs such as cocaine and heroin) 24 years old (parental permission or lack there of has no effect on legal age)
Required Employment Age- All citizens who are considered to be “employable” are to be employed between the ages of 18 and 70 years old.
Legal Use of the PTS- 14 years old with parental permission, 17 years old without

Drugs
All drugs are legal, medical and recreational. Recreational drugs must be identified as such by the RDRA (Recreational Drug Regulation Agency), otherwise it is illegal to possess them without a prescription or a government drug creation permit. Drugs of recreational use may not be used in public however, and when under the influence of recreational drugs citizens may not be in public. Those caught in public under the influence are brought to court to explain why they were breaking the public sobriety code, and if the judge/jury/justice(s) decides that the reason is inappropriate the offender faces 4 months to 1 year in jail. Recreational drugs are also only to be distributed by the government run RDRA, those caught selling recreational drugs face 2 to 30 years in jail, depending on the drug in question and how much was being sold. Medical drugs must be approved by the government run MDRA (Medicinal Drug Regulation Agency) to become an official medicinal drug; otherwise it may not be prescribed for medical purposes. Medical drugs are also distributed by the MDRA; any private citizens caught selling medical drugs face 1 to 7 years in jail, depending on the drug and amount. One caught in possession of medical drugs without the proper prescription face 2 to 8 months in jail and/or compulsion to attending a rehabilitation clinic. Medical drugs that are considered possibly hazardous to one’s health must have a signed form by the patient (or a legal guardian if the patient is unfit to make the decision for themselves). Drugs of either type are also not to be abused, and if either the RDRA or the MDRA decides that a citizen has been abusing the respective drug type the offender is compelled to attend a rehabilitation clinic until they are considered to no longer be a threat to themselves and those around them.

High Crimes in Alphabetical Order
(Crimes which result in 20 or more years in prison and/or banishment are considered “high crimes”)
Animal Cruelty, Resulting in Death (20-25 years in prison, required “re-teaching” during prison, 10 years required rehabilitation thereafter)
Animal Cruelty, Resulting in the Death of a Cow and/or Raven (Banishment from the Kingdom)
Animal Cruelty, Towards Cows (20-45 years in prison, required “re-teaching” during prison, 10 years required rehabilitation thereafter)
Environmental Destruction, Burning Fossil Fuels (50 years to banishment, depending on the amount of fossil fuels burned, required “re-teaching” during prison, 2 years rehabilitation thereafter)
Environmental Destruction, Felling a Tree (40-90 years in prison, required “re-teaching” during prison, 15 years rehabilitation thereafter)
Environmental Destruction, Starting a Forest Fire (Banishment from Kingdom)
Firearm Possession (30-60 years in prison, 1 year required rehabilitation thereafter)
Murder, Class I (Banishment from the Kingdom)
Murder, Class II (40-80 years in prison and required rehabilitation for 10 years thereafter)
Murder, Class III (20-30 years in prison, 5 years required rehabilitation thereafter)
Polluting, Air: Class I (20-40 years in prison, 7 years required rehabilitation thereafter)
Polluting, Fresh Water: Class I (30-50 years in prison, 7 years required rehabilitation thereafter)
Private Manufacturing (40-60 years in prison, required “re-teaching” during prison, 1 year of rehabilitation thereafter)
Rape, Adult (20-80 years in prison, 5-10 years required rehabilitation thereafter)
Rape, Child (30-80 years in prison, 10-15 years required rehabilitation thereafter)
Recreational Drug Distribution, Class C Type Drug (20-30 years in prison, 2 years required rehabilitation thereafter)
Treason, Class I (Banishment from the Kingdom)
Treason, Class II (30-50 years in prison, required “re-teaching” during the time in prison)
Legal Note: Any combination or multiples that have a combined sentence of over 150 years becomes banishment as punishment. Example: An Adult Rape (full sentence, 80 years) and Class II Murder (full sentence, 80 years) conviction is punishable by banishment. Example 2: A Double Class II Murder (full sentence for both, 80 + 80 = 160 years) conviction is punishable by banishment.

Major Bans in Alphabetical Order
Felling Trees: It is now illegal for anyone to cut down, uproot, or in any way killing a tree.
Firearms: It is illegal to construct, carry, possess, sell, buy, or in any way have a firearm unless you are an on duty police officer or active military soldier.
Fossil Fuels: It is illegal to burn or in any way use fossil fuels.
Hunting: Animal cruelty laws are strictly enforced; this is for both domestic and wild animals. It is against the law to harm any animal that did not attack someone in your immediate area. Killing animals, especially ravens and cows, is a high crime and current laws mandate a minimum of 20 years in jail for such offenses.
Inheritance: Any and all forms of inheritance are illegal and last will and testaments which designate the passing of goods are not enforced.
Immigration: The Farmers people are very isolationist, and many even hate foreigners. So a law was passed banning any and all immigration into the Kingdom.
Motor Vehicles: There were many reasons cars were banned, but the main two were the damage to the environment they caused and the danger they were to all citizens. All motor vehicles production, use, and sale have been eliminated.
Pavement: After the banning of motor vehicles pavement became an unnecessary attack on the environment and was banned.
Private Enterprise: Socialist economy is in effect.
Private Property: Socialist economy is in effect.

Official Political Positions
Civil Rights:
The doctrine of civil rights for all is strictly enforced, and no minority is allowed to be disadvantaged for any reason. All citizens upon reaching 24 years of age are equal under the law, with the exception of government office eligibility. Non citizens however have very few rights, and face much persecution by the general populace. Non citizens are in no way equal to citizens under the laws of the Kingdom. As immigration is illegal it is very uncommon for non citizens to be found, and normally those who find out someone is a non citizen will report them to the proper government authority.
Foreign Policy:
A very isolationist policy is taken by the Kingdom of Free Farmers, and no war has ever been fought since the dissolution of the First Kingdom. Trade is highly restricted, except that with the independents in the southern continent. All other imports are heavily taxed and protective tariffs are wide spread. Exports are also limited, especially exports of things exclusive to the Kingdom (such as leaves of life). The borders of the Free Farmers are closed up tight; no one can get in without permission. Illegal immigrants have almost no rights, and widely considered sub-human. Most illegal immigrants who are caught are immediately put to death or face life of imprisonment. Even cultural imports are rare; few people ever leave the Kingdom.
Economic Policy:
A special form of socialism exists in the Kingdom, because the people willingly gave up their property in the interests of the common good and productiveness. As such a benevolent form of socialism can exist, allowing great amounts of production. Unlike most socialist economies wealth is not equally distributed, but it is very close due to the payment for work based on daily work quotas set by the government. Because of the miniscule gap between the richest and poorest members of society there are no classes of people, just one people. Employment is mandatory for most of every citizen’s life, unless they are deemed to be “unemployable” for any reason the government run WAA (Worker Assessment Agency) decides makes that distinction. Very, very few are considered unemployable, so there is not much problem with that possible loophole. The government controls almost all goods, and so most things must be purchased by means of work slips, called “Ravens”, which are given to workers at the end of each day to use however they please. Ravens have become the basic currency of the nation, but a barter based economy between private citizens is much more prevalent.
Personal Freedoms:
The citizens of the Kingdom have many, many personal freedoms and they are allowed to do almost anything that does not infringe upon the rights of other citizens. Abortions, homosexual marriage, drug use, tobacco, alcohol, gambling, euthanasia and many other things that are illegal in many other nations are completely legal in the nation of Farmers. There are of course regulations on some of the more dangerous items (drug use, tobacco, alcohol) but legality remains firm.

Essential and Basic Freedoms and Rights:
1. Freedom of Expression (Speech, press, etc)
2. Right to Peacefully Assemble
3. Freedom to Pursue Happiness
4. Freedom of Religion
5. Right to Vote
6. Right to Life
7. Right to Equal Treatment Under Law
8. Right to Employment
9. Right to Petition
10. Right to Liberty
11. Right to Redemption
12. Right to Medical Treatment

Important Current Leaders (Short biographies of each)

King Mortillaro VI: Current King of the Free Farmers. Became King upon his father’s death in 2016. He has faithfully carried out his duties, but has also continued on his father’s work of expanding the power of the crown. Mortillaro has done this by using his popularity to influence elections and law making more so than any of his predecessors. Mortillaro VI, like all Kings in the past, is part of the largest ethnic group, People of the Trees. Mortillaro also belongs to the three largest religions in the nation.

Fredrick Jasper: Jasper is the current Senior Supreme Councilman and has been on the Supreme Council since the year 2008. Jasper, being the most powerful man in the Kingdom’s government, is the leader of his political party, the Brown Party. The Brown Party has dominated elections for hundreds of years, and never in the history of the Kingdom has the Brown Party held less than 40% of the seats in the Governorship Council, nor less than a third of the Forest Council. But in recent times it has had more control than ever, holding over 70% of the Governorship Council and over 60% of the Forest Council. They also have 4 out of 5 seats in the Supreme Council, most notably the top seat, which is held by Jasper himself. Jasper has brought in this era of greatness for his party through his excellent speaking ability; with this he is able to move the public. Jasper is part of the largest ethnic group in the nation, the People of the Trees. Jasper is not part of a religious group officially, to avoid being asked for “favors” (which are illegal due to the Freedom of Religion) but practices the Treetop religion.

Leslie Marcus: Leslie is currently the only non Brown Party member on the Supreme Council, an accomplishment in itself in current times, but also she holds the highest position ever attained by a woman in the history of the Free Farmers. Leslie leads the Scientist Party, a relatively new political party on the scene, but currently the second most powerful. Leslie is not a great speaker, but the message and crafty language she uses gets many on her side, or at least not against her. She is mainly responsible for the sudden rise of this party which started as an unknown fringe group. The Scientist Party currently holds about 20% of the Governorship Council, and about 25% of the Forest Council, along with the single seat on the Supreme Council that Leslie holds. Leslie is part of the largest ethnic group, the People of the Trees. She is a vowed atheist.

Desycates Kllheli: Kllheli is a fairly senior member of the Forest Council, and the leader of the Blue Party, a political party almost as old as the Brown Party. The Blue Party has always been somewhat of a fringe party, but none the less has a strong base of voters in certain regions. Originally the party was mostly controlled by Rivermen, but over time it has become the party of the Ice People and the party that pushed the change of Ician to an official language. Kllheli is the first ever Ice Person to be elected to the Forest Council for more than one term. He is a part of and practices the Peak Perches religion, but no illegal activity has ever been found.

Alexander Adair: Adair is the Chief Gray Stone Justice as the most senior member. He believes very much in the doctrine of “innocent until proven guilty” and always reviews cases strenuously to make sure he has made the proper decision. He is a Person of the Trees, as most in the Kingdom are, but treats minorities equally to his own race. His religion is not declared, but it is widely believed he practices the religion of the Golden Cow and the Treetop religion.

Economy

Economy - overview
The Farmers, being the largest nation on their planet, holds almost all the natural resources. Only a small part of the Southern Continent is not part of the Kingdom, but that part has many natural resources such as gold, silver, iron, copper, nickel, and other metals. But the Kingdom has all of these resources inside of its borders, along with many others. The largest and most important natural resource is the huge forests and rain forests, which cover most the nation. The Farmers have a socialist economic system, everything is controlled by the government and there is no private ownership. The government provides all of the citizens with food, water, shelter, clothing, and amenities. The currency, used to be distributed for work and citizens could purchase these things themselves. But recently a 100% income tax was passed through the Forest Council and the Governorship Council, and now the government provides everything from food to diamond rings, provided the proper amount of work was done to earn such things. The “currency” could be considered the Ravens, which are used to show how much work value a worker does per day, and can be used to purchase things from the government, which owns most goods. Because of this a barter based economy among citizens has taken hold, and gives the economy a very friendly and personal nature.

Economy composition by sector
Agriculture
84%
Industry
4%
Services
12%

Population below poverty line
>1% (Social equality is a very important part of life in the nation of Farmers)

Inflation rate (consumer prices)
0% (The government controls all goods, so prices never vary)

Labor force
332 million (estimated)

Labor force - by occupation
72% agriculture, 12% industry, 16% services

Unemployment rate
>1% (employment is mandatory from ages 18-70 for all considered employable)

Budget
Revenues
2.1 trillion Ravens/year
Expenditures
2.0 trillion Ravens/year

Agriculture - products
(from most important to least) Wheat, dairy, corn, grain, cotton, poultry, leaves of life (leaves from special trees in the Forest of Life, which have important medical uses), fruits, soybeans, potatoes, clover, opium poppy (used for food: ex. poppy seeds; medical drug: ex. morphine; and recreational drug: ex. opium; purposes), pork, fish, vegetables

Industries
Very little industry is in the Kingdom, but the mining and metal industries are fairly prevalent, and agriculture related industry (food processing, textiles, machinery needed to harvest crops) is also a major business. Not long ago a surge to industry occurred with the building of the PTS, but it came back down to normal levels after completion. A small portion of the industrial sector still maintains and builds on the PTS.

Industrial production growth rate
.13% (population increase and the new homes and areas of living makes industry needed more for the PTS. As time goes by better farming techniques are also needed to be put into production)

Electricity - production
30.31 trillion kWh
Most electricity is created by solar and wind power. Hydro power is used to a more limited extent. Natural gas is sometimes used as well, but rarely due to possible environmental concerns.

Electricity - consumption
24.79 trillion kWh

Electricity - exports
None (The Kingdom has no one to export to, the Southern Continent nation has its own electricity supply and needs none)

Electricity - imports
None (No need for such imports, a surplus is already in effect)

Oil - production
10,000 barrels per day (Little demand, little supply)

Oil - consumption
516 barrels per day (few uses for oil, as almost all things that would use it are outlawed)

Oil - exports
6,236 barrels per day (The Southern Continent nation has no source of oil, and imports much from the Kingdom, giving some of their metal resources away to pay for it)

Oil - imports
None (The Farmers have more than enough oil)

Oil - proved reserves
5.13 trillion barrels (estimated)

Natural Gas - production
2.98 trillion cu m

Natural Gas - consumption
1.06 trillion cu m (One of the most widely used energy sources, but still far behind solar power, hydro power, and wind power)

Natural Gas - exports
1.43 trillion cu m (very popular energy source in the Southern Continent, as oil use is limited by agreement with the Kingdom)

Natural Gas - imports
None

Natural Gas - proved reserves
314.76 trillion cu m

Exports - commodities
(From most value per year to least) Natural gas, corn, opium poppy, fruit, vegetables, oil, pork

Exports - partners
Southern Continent Independent Nation

Imports - commodities
Iron ore, gold, silver, copper, nickel, aluminum, mercury, steel, diamonds, rubies, and other precious gems

Imports - partners
Southern Continent Independent Nation

Exchange rates
Approx. 7 Ravens/$1 USD

Fiscal year
January 1st- December 31st

Communications

Telephones - main lines in use
8,745 (Land lines are very, very rarely used)

Telephones - mobile cellular
432 million

Telephone system
general assessment
Very modern and very archaic at the same time, land lines have been mostly phased out by mobile cellular communication devices, but the major communication stills lies in messenger birds, most often delivering letters. But recent genetic engineering technology has brought out the making of ravens which can mimic human speech and deliver verbal messages. Ravens are also the only way to send official messages in the Kingdom, and the ultra official messages must be by regular ravens carrying hand written letters.

Radio broadcast stations
1,302 AM, 17,204 FM

Television broadcast stations
1,239 (Over 50% run completely by the government telecommunications industry, but about 4% are very anti-government)

Internet users
464 million (internet access is provided for free by the government)

Communications - note
Most citizens have personal cellular telephones; about 87%. Over 99% have at least some form of messenger bird, although only about 38% have the relatively new GE verbal messenger ravens. Only about 21% have the old land line telephones.

Transportation

Railways
2,732,832 km (all electrically powered)

Highways
Total
25,143,286 km
Paved
1,196 km (any further paving of highways is illegal)
Unpaved
25,142,090 km (includes all officially marked trails, paths, and roads that allowed to be used by travel cows)

Waterways
1,274,321 km (Travel by water is very strictly regulated by the government, as rivers, streams, and lakes are the life blood of most of the Kingdom’s economy)

Pipelines
Crude oil and petrol products, 23,450 km; natural gas, 5,378,231 km

Ports and harbors
Royal Port, Wide Ocean Port, Sea Farm, Ice Cap Harbor, Port of the Great Divide, Fruits of the Sea

Merchant marine
Total
152 ships (1,000 GRT or over), 3,274,232 combined GRT of the 152 ships

Airports
368 total airports (347 are military air bases, of the others 14 are strictly for government official use. Air travel is strictly regulated by the government, permits are required to be allowed to travel by plane, and it takes weeks, sometimes months to be given a permit. Air travel permits are very, very rarely granted to private citizens, as there are much better, safer, and less destructive ways to travel)

Airports - with paved runways
Total
4
over 3,047 m
0
2,438 to 3,047 m
0
1,524 to 2,437 m
1
914 to 1,523 m
2
under 914 m
1

Airports - with unpaved runways
Total
364
over 3,047 m
0
2,438 to 3,047 m
0
1,524 to 2,437 m
0
914 to 1,523 m
0
under 914 m
364 (most of the airplanes have been made with jumpjet type systems, allowing them to land and take off from natural surfaces and with very small runways, most runways are under 50 meters long)

Heliports
Hard surfaced:
4
Natural:
21

Transportation - note
The recent advances in mass transit systems have been brought together to create one of the greatest transportation feats of all human history, the Personal Transport System, or PTS. The PTS connects to nearly every home in the Kingdom, and all cities, towns, and hamlets across the expanse of the planet. A marvel of engineering, the PTS is a small capsule that comfortably fits 5 regular sized persons (the average Farmer family is only made up of 4 individuals), and there are above ground and underground pipelines that fit the capsules perfectly and there is a huge network of pipeline connecting the nation. The PTS capsule is powered in three different ways to get to its destination. It is powered by hydraulics; the pipelines pump water behind the capsule and propel it forward. Air power is also used, with the same principals as the water power; pushing the capsule to the appropriate destination. A final way of moving the capsules artificially is by magnetic power; magnets are activated in capsule and the surrounding pipeline and repelling and attracting is used to move the capsule along. The PTS is widely considered the greatest accomplishment of the Free Farmers government in recent times.

Military

Military branches
Red Cows (The land branch of the military)
Red Ravens (The air branch of the military)
Red Ice (The naval branch of the military)
Red Sands (The naval landing branch of the military)
Red Clouds (The paratroop branch of the military)
Red Riders (The supply branch of the military)
Red Guards (The city garrisons)
Red Stars (The extraterrestrial branch of the military)
Red Trees (The intelligence and counter intelligence branch of the military)

Military service age and obligation
Volunteer Age:
Minimum: 16 years old
Maximum: None
Conscription Age:
Minimum: 24 years old
Maximum: 65 years old

Manpower available for military service
males age 15-49
150 million
females age 15-49
145 million

Manpower fit for military service
males age 15-49
146 million
females age 15-49
141 million

Military - note
Military service is rarely a chosen profession and normally for those who can do nothing else. The military is small, has miniscule funding, and has not been used since the First Kingdom was overthrown. It is still maintained though, and in a time of need the population would surely volunteer in droves to protect their home land. Enough weapons are stored so that every citizen could be armed with at least one gun. But a very small percentage of the guns are actually used, as the military makes up a very small part of the workforce. Currently it is estimated that only 1.4 million are in the military, tiny by comparison to other professions. The largest branch is the Red Guards which are strictly city defense forces.

International Issues

Disputes - international, planetary
The Kingdom’s only dispute is with the independents in the Southern Continent, who refuse to become a part of the Farmers’ nation.

Disputes, interplantary
None, mostly due to the extreme isolationism the Kingdom has shown. But recently some activity off planet has occured, possibly opening doors for the future of the Kingdom.

You can reply now if you want, that's all the factbook I've written.

*bump*

Military- Spotlight on the Red Stars
Current active soldiers:
[I]Total
139,435
Spacecraft crew(wo)men
12,480
Lunar Alpha control
268
Lunar Beta control
346
Planet Based Anti-Ship Defenses (PBAS)
116,647
Lunar Based Anti-Ship Defenses (LBAS)
9,694

Operational Military Spacecraft:
Total
126
Raven I Class
76
Raven II Class
42
Raven III Class
6
Golden Raven Class
2

Spacecraft Descriptions:
Raven I
Image* (http://www.skyhunter.com/andes0-small.jpg)
The Raven I is a small, quick, and elusive shuttle. Used as support vessles for larger craft, provides excellent firepower for its size. Not able to stand up to a direct hit from most larger ships, as it has given up armor for mobility. The Raven I's are hard to hit however, due to the great speeds at which they move and their relatively tiny size. Crews are of 3 operators, one controls all movement of the craft, one controls weaponry, and one maintains the craft, making sure all systems are running smoothly. It is 5 meters in length and 4 meters in diameter.
Raven II
Image* (http://terranuts.com/tutorials/spaceships/pic10.jpg)
The Raven II is a larger spacecraft than the Raven I, but still relies more on mobility than armor to protect it from most damage. Firepower is greatly increased in this vessle, its main purpose is battle. Quick and powerful enough to stay with most other fighters in a dogfight, would have great trouble with large vessles however, as it has neither sufficent weaponry, nor armor to battle it out with a titan of a ship. Crews consist of 5 members, two for movement, two for weapon systems, and one for maintaince and ensuring everything is working as it should. It is 30 meters in length and 8 meters in height.
Raven III
Image* (http://www.artships.com/1998/bigblue.jpg)
The Raven III is the second largest type of ship in the Farmers fleet, and a force to be reckoned with. Holds up to 5 Raven II's and 20 Raven I's on its decks, the Raven III is both a battleship and a carrier. The Raven III is equipped with 10 heavy attack cannons, along with 40 smaller defensive cannons. The Raven III has very thick armor plating, combined with a fairly powerful energy shield. The Raven III operates with 30 crew members (not including crew of support ships) and a commander to keep things together. It is 320 meters in length and 80 meters in height.
Golden Raven
Image* (http://community.epiar.net/view/o620ed418ebcae96c7126d734d577342a4.png)
The Golden Raven is the largest ship in the Farmers fleet, and the most powerful. It can hold up to 8 Raven II's and 40 Raven I's on its decks, the Golden Raven is at heart a battleship not a carrier. The Golden Raven has 5 super heavy cannons, 20 heavy cannons, and 85 small defensive cannons. The Golden Raven's shields are the third best the Kingdom has, behind only the planet's shield and the two moons' shields. The Golden Raven has a minimum crew of 110, not including the crews of the ships it carries. It is 675 meters in length and only 30 meters in height, to increase its speed capabilities.
Note
Crew numbers are only for the number needed to keep the ship running and weapons operational. It does not include medical or technical personal, nor does it include guards.
[*Images are from an online image search, my thanks goes out to those who made these pictures, as I can't draw to save my life.]

Lunar Defense System (LDS):
The Lunar Defense System, or LDS, is the best defense the Kingdom has against space based attacks. Remotely controlled from the capital of the Free Farmers back on the home planet, the Lunar Defense System requires no human activation directly, the control of the system is completely done from the planet itself. The LDS consists mostly of extremely powerful anti-spacecraft cannons and missles, which have a range that reaches to the end of the solar system. These high powered defenses are backed up by many super heavy, heavy, and small defensive cannons, in case the attacking ship comes within a light minute of the LDS it can be fired upon by greater firepower. The LDS also supports missle systems, the missles have remote control capabilities, and can be directed manually from the planet control center. The other option is to just fire the missle and hope it is able to connect with the target, a computer will immediately calculate the appropriate amount of "leading" the missle will have to do in order to hit the target. The downside is if the target changes course, increases or decreases its speed the missle could easily miss. Missles are therefore deployed much less and normally in large salvos. The LDS altogether is an extremely effective defense against all space based attacks.

Plantary and Lunar Shields:
Due to the increasing possibility of attack from the stars, the Kingdom has created a type of "shield" that surrounds both the home planet and the two moons with a protective barrier. This barrier can be turned on and off, but when on makes it extremely difficult for anything to pass through it towards the inside. Things moving out will have no trouble, and it would be like the shield isn't even there. The shield is powered by massive generators on the planet and the two moons. The planet has six such generators, requires 4 to be operational. The moons have 5 generators each and require only 2 to stay operational.

Land Based Anti-Ship Defenses:
Land based, manned defenses have been set up by the Red Stars on the planet and both moons. It mainly consists of normal anti-air defenses, with the twist that the maximum range is just outside the upper atmosphere. These have been proven effective in stopping invasion ships in all tests and practices done.

Impressive. I'm the Principality of Kurona, a PT nation, with major farming industry (again past tech-pt)

Impressively complete, my own wiki page isn't that precise (link in sig) ;)

I have a few questions:

- why voting age that high ? 24 is really high for the voting age IMHO

- why only 95% litteracy rate ? with a good free education system, you can easily have 99% or even 99.9%

- the total of all religions is 100%, are all your citizen believers ? or you just don't count the non-believers (if so, how many are they ?)

- the penalty seems very harsh, I would have guess much lower ones from a democratic socialist country (in Kilobugya, penalties are very low, there aren't even prisons)

Else, nice factbooks :)

Thanks, I'll answer your questions:

1. 24 is the time you become an adult, minors can't vote in any nation I know of, maybe they can in some :confused:
2. Eh, I tried to be modest. I could probably have a higher one, thanks for the idea.
3. Just didn't count non-believers. But they are a small amount of the community. As you can tell by the names of the religions, they are basically neo-pagans, it's not like an all powerful god, it is more of a deep respect for nature.
4. Penalties are quite harse for some things, but others are quite lax. Notice those are the worst crimes, as thought by the government and thus the people. Punishments are necessary in some cases, we normally try to rehabilitate, but sometimes the public would demand punishments.