NationStates Jolt Archive

Farflorin Factbook

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Semper Libera - Always Free

Introduction

Official Name: The United Commonwealth of Farflorin
Short Name: Farflorin

Home Region: ALSN (Apocalyptic League of Sovereign Nations)

Farflorin re-founded ALSN recently because the nation longed for its original home before the inter-regional war that saw the entire region become fractured along ideological and political lines. It had previously been inhabiting the region of Corrosia, but felt the need to seek out its roots and return to the ashes of its former home and restore the region to its old glory.

Resident Region: Corrosia
Key Allies: Dectubech, R539 (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=569773), Articoa, Salvatorius

For diplomatic reasons, Farflorin keeps a colony in the region of Corrosia. The nation of Farflorin has enjoyed a long-lasting prosperous relationship with Corrosia and has earned itself a number of resilient and diligent allies, who may not always share the same views on the world but can be counted on when it really matters.

Historic Allies: Zinaire and The New Caribbean

A long time ago, before the days of Corrosia, Farflorin had other allies. They were her allies in NC and the nation enjoyed a healthy diplomatic relationship with those allies. But as the tide turn and time marches on, the alliance faded into the distance and the page was turned. The alliance is but a page in the history books of Farflorin, but the students of Farflorin are taught about the alliance and how it helped shape the history and culture of Farflorin.

Cold War Rival: Talematros and its empire

Wars: Kryozerkia-Kutounese War, Farflorinian-Talematrian War, Intercontinental War, ALSN Cold War,

Historical information about the first war can be found here: Kryozerkian World Factbook (http://forums2.jolt.co.uk/showpost.php?p=6956347&postcount=1). This also contains some history that ties Farflorin in with its former colonial master. However, most of the information is dated but the history remains unchanged despite what any revisionist may think.

War has become a history topic in Farflorin. It's passive policies have allowed for it to become more of a diplomat despite having its own internal issues. Despite being passive, it doesn't stop the nation from being an arms supplier to its allies. It has supplied conventional weapons, and highly controversial untested arsenal.

Table of Contents
A Brief History
Demographics
Government
Statistics & Other Data
Education
Legal System
Military
Culture
Everyday Life
The Economy
Map of Farflorin


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Edit History
# (Oct 26/08) Education was added as an after thought yesterday.
# (Oct, 27/08) I added in a link to another factbook, which contains information about a war that allowed for Farflorin to exist. I also added in economic stats and suffrage. A map has also been added. I have also broken down the factbook into smaller, managable chunks. If I add any more sections, I'll expand the table of contents.
# (Oct, 28/08) Added in more information to my stats area.
# (Oct, 29/08) Added some of the information on the legal system. Will add more in later.
# (Oct 30/08) Expanded the legal system section.
# (Oct 31/08) Added in a place holder for the economy; there is more to the economy than just statistics

Features to be added:
# Military
# Legal System - partially completed
# Culture
# Everyday Life
# The Economy

A Brief History

Farflorin, once known as Florin was a province in northern Kryozerkia. Civil unrest had always been an issue for the province and during the war between Kryozerkia and the neighbouring nation of Kutou-koku, Florin sought to exert itself and seek independence.

Upon breaking away, it decided to rename itself to Farflorin and a nation was born from the ashes of civil unrest and war. In the years that followed, the new nation descended into anarchy and became a prime target for the highly stabilised nation of Talematros, which was on the north-western border of Farflorin. Determined to prevent the chaos from spilling over, Talematros risked its standing in the region to invade and restore order against the wishes of the people.

The nation of Farflorin spent centuries embroiled in bloody and bloodless civil wars and coups before eventually settling down, albeit without any notable police force or standing army. The nation that emerged as a former province carried over few if any laws, and remains on the brink of anarchy due to a general distrust of government officials.

Despite its inclination toward self-destructive behaviour and a general lack of willingness to impose a stable government, the nation of Farflorin forged itself in the pages as history as wanting to be a diplomatic on the international stage and shunned any standing army powered by the blood, sweat and tears of its population.

Demographics

National Capital: St. Florence

Religion: Unknown/Lack thereof

The nation of Farflorin ascribes to no form of faith. The people once embraced faith, but over the decades and centuries of its existence, the people came to shun the shackles of religion, for they abhor most types of authority. Like with governments, the Farflorinian people came to distrust all forms of organised religion and opted for their own brad of spirituality.

While Atheism isn't dominant, there are a number of well-known atheists who sit on the Elder Council of Farflorin. Most people in Farflorin have described themselves as agnostic, gnostic or deist. Some do believe in a superior force, others don't. The only common factor is that there is no form of organised religion in the nation.

Most holidays exist because it was voted in by the Elder Council of Farflorin in order to allow for people to have "official" holidays in lieu of traditional religious holidays so that it would allow them to spend time with their friends and family.

Life Expectancy: 80-95 years
Women - 85-90 years || Men - 80-89 years
Age Structure
0-18: 27%
19-64: 48%
64-80: 17%
80+: 8%

The number of years a person lives in Farflorin can fluctuate differently, but there is generally a high life expectancy in the nation, where many older people are able to rely on Droids to handle difficult tasks, and the technology of Farflorin has evolved to the point where it is able to accomadate people with all sorts of disabilities, thus improving life.

Literacy: 99%

Both genders in Farflorin have equal access to all levels of education.

Population: 10+ billion

Due to its size and the rate of reproduction against that of death, the nation was forced to adapt a strict immigration policy. While Farflorin welcomes foreigners to visit, due to its swelling population and issues surrounding urban sprawl, even as the condos become taller and taller, it cannot afford to allow many in. Those who have been allowed to join only could do so if they were trained in a post-secondary school in the nation.

Government

Type of Government: Democratic
WA Classification: Civil Rights Lovefest
Leader: n/a

There is no actual leader for Farflorin. If there is a diplomatic issue, the Elder Council will pick a small envoy to go handle the matter.

Levels of Government: Elder Council and Lower Congressional Tribunal

The Elder Council of Farflorin isn't subject to elections. Those who serve on it, are issued notices. They are called up for 'council duty' much like how in many nations people are called up for jury duty. The council is in session for six years. Notices are sent out every three years and half the council is rotated at that time.

The Lower Congressional Tribunal is made up of Governors elected from each Farflorin prefecture. They gather to discuss matters relating to each prefecture and they answer to the Elder Council. Their primary duty is to prepare status reports and to monitor new legislation and determine if it is functional and if it is, the Elder Council will give it ascension and transform the law from Interim to Official.

The Elder of the Council is elected by a vote within the council and that seat changes hands every four years, just as the seat for Speaker of the Lower Congressional Tribunal does.

No one can serve more than three terms. In order to serve, a citizen must be at least 24 years of age, have a clean record, a completed post-secondary education, as education is free at all levels, and be willing to dedicate that time to the nation. Those excluded are those who serve in jobs classified as "essential", and as such are already forbidden from striking.

Statistics & Other Data

Economic Statistics

The statistics presented here are accurate within a margin of +/-3%. These statistics have been gathered from the Farflorinian Statistical Analysis Department or FSAD for short. It is one of the many divisions of the Future Today industry (it has a primary focus on development technology for both civil and military use as well as for scientific advancements) that exist within the nation.

Unemployment Rate: 2.5-4.9%
Employed Students: 24%
Labour Force: 75% (of the total population out of school)

The rate of unemployment varies from city to city, with the higher numbers found in St. Florence due to a recent shortage of jobs due to a large influx of citizens from rural areas seeking out jobs in FT industries.

Gross Domestic Product: $328,267,741,725,574.00
GDP Per Capita: $31,910.93

Spending

Social Welfare: $61.0 or 19%
Healthcare: $32.0 or 10%
Education: $110.0 or 34%
Commerce: $29.0 or 9%
Public Transport: $9.0 or 3%
The Environment: $29.0 or 9%
Social Equality: $51.0 or 16%
* All figures in trillion.

The nation of Farflorin has a 100% taxation rate. The emphasis of the budget is on education. Absent from this figures is any funding for Defence, as it's a private sector concern. Also not included is Law and Order due to progressive education policies, though petty theft and murder do remain issue, however all narcotics are completely legal and thus no offences relate to narcotics. Spirituality and Religion receives no funding nor does it have any tax-exempt status as stated above there is an absence of religion from the nation. Lastly, because of the unique governing style of the nation, there are no Administrative funding, as there is no bureaucracy.

National Holidays

January 1st: New Years
February 21st: Independence Day
April 20th: National Cannabis Day
June 2nd: National Droid Recycling Day
July 29th-August 5th: Summer Harvest Festival
September 14th: Science Appreciation Day
October 31st: Hallow e'en
December 22nd-26th: St. Octopus' Unholy High Holiday

Suffrage

Age of Majority: 18 or 16 if emancipated due to extraordinary circumstances
Military: 21
Driving: 16
Voting: 17 for municipal and prefecture elections.
Drinking: 16 (beer and light alcohol), 18 (hard liquor and spirits)
Narcotics: 16 (tobacco), 17 (soft), 20 (hard)
Marriage: 20 or 16 with parental permission
Sexual relations: 14 with a Romeo and Juliet clause; 18 unrestricted. No restrictions on sexual orientation

Miscellaneous

National Animal: Leopard Gecko
National Bird: Magpie
National Tree: Ash
National Flower: Daffodil
Currency: Shilling

Education

Education is the more heavily funded area in Farflorin. It is considered the corner stone to the entire nation. Education in Farflorinian culture is focused on learning as more than simply an obligation in life, and is highly prized. A child without a degree is heavily frowned upon. Those who choose not to pursue an education find themselves on the fringes of society. This was once a problem but the culture has evolved and mature to the point where those who opt not to seek out an education are far and between.

The educational experience for a Farflorinian child begins once the child is able to speak. The parents are able to send their young children to school as early as two years old, but are required by law to have their children in a classroom by age four. Education is not restricted. Even the mentally disabled are required to be in class once it is possible. Only the extremely disabled are exempt from education.

There are different types of schools for students. General public schools exist for everyone. These schools are given the bulk of focus since it's considered the main academy for all. Outside of these schools are public schools for gifted students, schools for students who are mentally disabled, schools for those with behavioural issues as well as schools for those who excel in non-academic areas. With the exception of the vocational academy which focuses on apprenticeships and vocational prep, all the other special types exist from the preschool level.

Post-secondary schooling is available to all, however the school you are accepted in is determined by taking a national exam. The examine will determine the level the student is at and will place accordingly. It is this test that also aids students in picking their academic major and guide them down their career path.

Schools for the mentally disabled do not exist after the secondary level, but menial and simple jobs remain open to these students and they are trained in a profession that is suited to their skills and are given a purpose in life through this. These jobs are supervised by those who have received a higher level of education.

Students are often between three and four years old when they enter the education system, and are on average at least twenty-three or twenty-four when they graduate from their post-secondary undergrad majors. Though, some may be older if they pursue a doctorate and optionally, a PhD. The ages do vary from student to student but the ages remain the average to date.

Students all cover a variety of subjects in their education. Up until grade eleven, students share the same general areas from math and science, to different language and social studies classes. Once a student has entered grade eleven, they are able to begin to select their own subjects. These selections will affect their national examinations and their choices available at the time they enter into a major. The selections made don't always affect the end result but more often than not do.

Legal System

The legal system in Farflorin unlike most isn't weighed down with many cases. For one, there are few laws. Many disputes are settled with mediators as this is common method of dispute resolution. It dates back to the dates of the bloody civil wars of the nation, when Farflorin was ruled by gangsters and mobs; when anarchy was the only rule of the lawless land. In the years that followed a small mildly dysfunctional yet much needed legal system arose from the ashes of destruction.

Courts

As there are few laws, there are few courts. There are courts at the city level; typically these are civil courts; prefecture level courts, which deal with human rights and with the few crimes that exist in Farflorin and finally the Supreme Court of Farflorin, henceforth referred to as SCF, which primarily only hears appeals from the lower courts. The SCF has the power to make laws just as the Elder Council of Farflorin does. The laws made by the SCF only become law if there are no previously existing law or the current law is pur in curiam.

Most rulings in Farflorin are not influenced by precedent. The rulings are done by the book, as Farflorin, unlike it's former colonial master adheres to a civil code system and not a common law system. The civil code system has given rise to some issues, such as those regarding fairness and equity in the courts. As a result, a secondary set of courts is slowly being formed. These would be courts of equity. In this, people would be able to seek justice if they felt robbed of justice.

Municipal courts - these are often Tribunals and Administrative Boards designed to hear civil cases. This also includes small claims. Many low level civil proceedings are heard at this level and include property disputes and traffic-related offences, unless those offences are considered to be prefecture level offences.

Prefecture courts - Superior Prefecture Court of Justice (SPCJ) and the Supreme Court of the Prefecture: Equity and Appeals (SCP:EA). The SPCJ is the first level of the prefecture courts. It handles divorce proceedings, custody, support and other high level civil proceedings that aren't designated as municipal jurisdiction. The SCP:EA is the upper most of the prefecture. It handles all appeal and equity cases.

National court - The Supreme Court of Farflorin (SCF). It handles appeals that come out of the SCP:EA. It can also handle national offences, which include treason and terrorism. The SCF can also pick up cases that are backlogged in the SCP:EA in order to keep the justice system flowing.

Laws

No citizen in Farflorin is above the few laws that do exist within the nation.

The laws on the books are those formed by the Lower Congressional Tribunal and the Elder Council. Rulings made by the SCF are examined by the Elder Council and if deemed to be significant, the ruling will be codified into law and placed on the books. Only a few such laws exist. The majority of laws have been formed through council and congressional deliberations.

Of the few types of laws that exist, the only ones that get enforced are those which govern violent behaviour. There are other laws that govern other areas but these typically go unenforced. This is most notable with traffic laws. While people obey traffic signals for the most part, speed limits and other signs are regarded as merely suggestions. For this reason, cars are often not rented out to tourists as they are deemed to be unprepared for the hazards of Farflorinian roads. These roads are often considered lawless, and it's mob rule.

Age limitations often go unenforced as well, except in the cases of education and elections, where enforcement is often found. There is underage drinking and narcotic use. ID checks are frequent but rarely result in a denial of service, as citizens are taught early on about safe narcotic use and drinking moderation. These are not taboo subjects and because these substances are freely available, abuse is low. Crime related to it is deemed to be non-existent because the legal means of acquiring these substances are abundant.

The only sexual offences are those related to paedophilia and sexual assault. These laws apply equally to both genders and these types of offences rarely appear to before a court of law because the person responsible often become the target of a vigilantes. It's quite common to find someone who has been assaulted within the mob. They will often direct the mob to the person who hurt them. As a result, death by mob for these types of offenders remains the highest cause of death in the nation, second only to death by old age.

Law Enforcement

Due to a general absence of strict, draconian laws, there are virtually no prisons in Farflorin, as they too are viewed as highly draconian. There are detention centres that exist within the nation for the sole purpose of holding defendants until they are able to go to trial. Most defendants however aren't held in detention centres unless their crime is considered to be an indictable offence. These types of offences are typically related to murder, arson, treason, assault, and other extremely violent crimes. All other defendants are able to stay within society though they are given ankle bracelets that allow for them to be tracked until their court date.

Law and Order is governed by the private industry in Farflorin, with different security companies licensed to operate in different cities and prefectures. While these private organizations possess the same type of powers that police do, they often only enforce the laws governing violent behaviour, as the legislation permitting their existence stipulates that these orgs may only target violent criminals.

Military

More information forthcoming. Space holder.

Culture

More information forthcoming. Space holder.

Everyday Life

More information forthcoming. Space holder.

The Economy

More information forthcoming. Space holder.

Map of Farflorin

Only a few of the largest cities and the capital city are included on the map, as well as notable areas, including the wetlands of the south, which are considered to be protected. The map is from a larger version, which includes two nations to its west. For practical purposes, just the immediate area of Farflorin is being presented. To view a larger version of the map below, click the map itself.

http://www.weaselhut.net/farflorinmap-small.png (http://www.weaselhut.net/farflorinmap.png)