Nallen
23-04-2009, 22:23
Geographical Information:
The Kingdom of Nallen is an island approximately the size of Iceland.
The majority of its landmass is barren plains, though to the north is a small forest that provides the nation's lumber.
History:
Nallen used to be a territory of the North Atlantic Federation of the Fanboyists, but declared independence on the 20th of April, 2009, as a product of an ongoing conflict with the local law enforcement. The leaders of the nation, seeing the injustices committed against Nallen, condoned this. As a consequence of both the oppression and the fight for independence, the people acknowledged the need for a strong government, though not untouchable. Seeing a monarchy as a more permanent system, they made Marcus Andersen, a major diplomat and protester during the Fight for Independence, their king, writing up a constitution to limit his power, and putting in place a cabinet the people may vote upon. Within this constitution were laws that allowed excellent civil rights and limited possession of arms. The Kingdom of Nallen is determinedly peaceful, working to build trade agreements to hopefully wash itself of its sometimes bloody revolutionary past.
Economics:
The Kingdom of Nallen has a barren landscape unsuitable for growing much aside from hay and potatoes. In addition, it is somewhat low on natural resources, such as oil and iron, though it does have a couple of offshore refineries. For this reason, Nallen has focused on its artisan trade, and what its people are best at: quality cheeses. Nallen provides some of the finest cheese in the region, and in amazing quantities. In addition, it has a thriving textile industry, though it has to import automobiles, produce, and metals of all sorts. It is looking to establish strong trading connections with nations of great produce and manufacturing renown, in order to be better able to trade, as it has very few airplanes and only one small airport.
Government:
The government has two effective branches: Legislation and Judicial.
The Legislation branch creates and enforces laws. The head of this branch is the King, while the second in power is the Prime Minister, who leads Congress. Congress convenes every day except for national holidays, and must have the Prime Minister in attendance in order to convene. For this reason, should the Prime Minister be very ill or otherwise completely incapable of presiding over Congress, they will be unable to meet. Should a long-term affliction befall the Prime Minister, the next in power would take his place. There are 12 congressmen: one representing each region, and one each from the four major cities. Should the Prime Minister have to be temporarily replaced, first would be the representative of the region or city with the greatest population (for the regions that contain a city, the population of the region excludes the city; this is also the body that votes for them).
Trade and Communications:
At the moment, the Kingdom of Nallen expresses its strength mostly in its ships. It has a working telephone system that is controlled by the government (though cell phone systems are corporate-owned), as well as a government-sponsored television channel, though there are several corporate channels as well, and companies in Nallen are working to establish internet on the island, though at present it is unavailable. The mail system is widely acknowledged to be a bit slow, and it is jokingly remarked that it is slow for everything but taxes.
Culture:
The people of Nallen are not as interested in sports or combat as much as the performing arts. For this reason, playhouses in Nallen (in the larger cities, there are many: it's said there's a playhouse on every block in Cheskolme, the major city on the north coast) are renowned for putting on extraordinary classic plays, as well as creating new plays and musicals that are spectacular. The music industry in Nallen is not as expansive as other nations in terms of revenue or variety, but rare is the household that isn't playing music most hours of the day. There are fierce competitions between pop, jazz, and classical music players, the rivalries comparable to sports rivalries in many nations. It has even gone so far that the resulting vandalism has become a major problem.
The people of Nallen specialise in a unique cuisine. A Nallen meal consists of four courses: to begin with is a small sweet dish, usually a sweet yogurt or pie. The second course is something very spicy, which can range from a dip to a meat in a curry sauce. Most foreigners are given a tall glass of milk with this course, or advised to try one of the milder dishes, depending on the restaurant. The main part of the third course is a starch of some description, usually a potato. It is the largest dish of the meal, and very filling. The last course is regional, though always a beverage: in the East, it is typically a glass of sour lemonade or champaigne; something to make the cheekbones twinge. In the west, sparkling white grape juice with a bit of ice cream or sherbet is not uncommon.
OOC: Anything I missed? Anything that needs to be improved upon?
The Kingdom of Nallen is an island approximately the size of Iceland.
The majority of its landmass is barren plains, though to the north is a small forest that provides the nation's lumber.
History:
Nallen used to be a territory of the North Atlantic Federation of the Fanboyists, but declared independence on the 20th of April, 2009, as a product of an ongoing conflict with the local law enforcement. The leaders of the nation, seeing the injustices committed against Nallen, condoned this. As a consequence of both the oppression and the fight for independence, the people acknowledged the need for a strong government, though not untouchable. Seeing a monarchy as a more permanent system, they made Marcus Andersen, a major diplomat and protester during the Fight for Independence, their king, writing up a constitution to limit his power, and putting in place a cabinet the people may vote upon. Within this constitution were laws that allowed excellent civil rights and limited possession of arms. The Kingdom of Nallen is determinedly peaceful, working to build trade agreements to hopefully wash itself of its sometimes bloody revolutionary past.
Economics:
The Kingdom of Nallen has a barren landscape unsuitable for growing much aside from hay and potatoes. In addition, it is somewhat low on natural resources, such as oil and iron, though it does have a couple of offshore refineries. For this reason, Nallen has focused on its artisan trade, and what its people are best at: quality cheeses. Nallen provides some of the finest cheese in the region, and in amazing quantities. In addition, it has a thriving textile industry, though it has to import automobiles, produce, and metals of all sorts. It is looking to establish strong trading connections with nations of great produce and manufacturing renown, in order to be better able to trade, as it has very few airplanes and only one small airport.
Government:
The government has two effective branches: Legislation and Judicial.
The Legislation branch creates and enforces laws. The head of this branch is the King, while the second in power is the Prime Minister, who leads Congress. Congress convenes every day except for national holidays, and must have the Prime Minister in attendance in order to convene. For this reason, should the Prime Minister be very ill or otherwise completely incapable of presiding over Congress, they will be unable to meet. Should a long-term affliction befall the Prime Minister, the next in power would take his place. There are 12 congressmen: one representing each region, and one each from the four major cities. Should the Prime Minister have to be temporarily replaced, first would be the representative of the region or city with the greatest population (for the regions that contain a city, the population of the region excludes the city; this is also the body that votes for them).
Trade and Communications:
At the moment, the Kingdom of Nallen expresses its strength mostly in its ships. It has a working telephone system that is controlled by the government (though cell phone systems are corporate-owned), as well as a government-sponsored television channel, though there are several corporate channels as well, and companies in Nallen are working to establish internet on the island, though at present it is unavailable. The mail system is widely acknowledged to be a bit slow, and it is jokingly remarked that it is slow for everything but taxes.
Culture:
The people of Nallen are not as interested in sports or combat as much as the performing arts. For this reason, playhouses in Nallen (in the larger cities, there are many: it's said there's a playhouse on every block in Cheskolme, the major city on the north coast) are renowned for putting on extraordinary classic plays, as well as creating new plays and musicals that are spectacular. The music industry in Nallen is not as expansive as other nations in terms of revenue or variety, but rare is the household that isn't playing music most hours of the day. There are fierce competitions between pop, jazz, and classical music players, the rivalries comparable to sports rivalries in many nations. It has even gone so far that the resulting vandalism has become a major problem.
The people of Nallen specialise in a unique cuisine. A Nallen meal consists of four courses: to begin with is a small sweet dish, usually a sweet yogurt or pie. The second course is something very spicy, which can range from a dip to a meat in a curry sauce. Most foreigners are given a tall glass of milk with this course, or advised to try one of the milder dishes, depending on the restaurant. The main part of the third course is a starch of some description, usually a potato. It is the largest dish of the meal, and very filling. The last course is regional, though always a beverage: in the East, it is typically a glass of sour lemonade or champaigne; something to make the cheekbones twinge. In the west, sparkling white grape juice with a bit of ice cream or sherbet is not uncommon.
OOC: Anything I missed? Anything that needs to be improved upon?