Snefaldia

**The States-Federation of Snefaldia**
Flag of Snefaldia	Great Seal of the Federation
	Motto: "Liberty, Unity, Democracy"'
	National Anthem: Over the Drifts and Banks[1]'
	; Map of Snefaldia; ; Within the Western Atlantic
Region	Western Atlantic
Capital	Sargedain
Largest city	Taxilha
Official Language(s)	Bagura
Government	Federal Parliamentary Republic
- Lord High Chancellor	-Ren Dirh
- Provost of Deputies	-Márkës Vinsëłmø-Ŕymè
- Grand Chamberlain	-Anzapahhâdu Mugalłu
Establishment	Date
- under Aatem Nal	1455 CE
- Segovan	February 4th, 1701 CE
- Republic of Snefaldia	April 23rd, 1895 CE
- Tuhran Bel	October 25th, 1963 CE
- Modern republic	April 23rd 2008 CE
Area
- Total	9,671,018 km²
- % water	5%
Population	4.494 billion
PDAS	B- (average)
Currency	me-wak
Timezone	EDT+3
- Summer (DST)
Internet TLD	.sne
Calling code	+57
ISO Code	SNEF
	NS NSTracker Sunset XML

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Snefaldia, officially the States-Federation of Snefaldia, (Bagura: Hoptŏgën or Fèndëh Sûł Hoptŏgën), is a large country almost entirely surrounded by mountains and bisected by a large river, which runs to the sea. The word "Snefaldia" is a corruption of the Old Frisian *snē and *falle, applied by travelers in the 13th century.

The States-Federation belongs to the World Assembly and formerly the United Nations, and is aligned politically with the region of Western Atlantic, but retains historic connections with Antarctic Oasis, where it formerly served as Regional Delegate^[delegacy]. Snefaldia has an area of 9,671,018 km², 5% of which is water. Arable land is 38.44% of the country. The average life expectancy is 74 for men, 77 for women, with a low infant mortality rate, high literacy rate, with a ranking of B- in the PDAS. The population is concentrated in the large regional cities and distributed throughout the countryside, with variations according to region, climate, and landscape.

The largest city in Snefaldia is the port city of Taxilha, surpassing the capital of Sargedain in population density per sq. km. in January, 2009.

History

Main article: History of Snefaldia

Snefaldia was first populated by late Paleolithic humans, but the first records of human settlement come from the later Neolithic in the form of bone and rock tools.

Written history begins around 3000 B.C.E. during the Terangal period, when inhabitants of Allasha, at that time lush and fertile, built the stone palaces at Terangal and Sumdarian. Radical climate changes earthquakes dried out the Allashan plain around 500bce, and the centers of civilization were abandoned.

Young men carrying the national flag, demonstrating in Sargedain

The traditional date for the establishment of a national government is given in the proleptic Aatem Nal Calendar as Year 1, Yânsäl 5 (May 5, 1305)^[calendar], the year the religious figure Khsayavang entered the country. The generally accepted date for true political centralization is in 1455.

Geography

Snefaldia has a landmass of 181,040 sq km, 5% of which is water. Surrounded on four sides by mountain ranges, elevation ranges from the Velnar mountains in the north (with the highest point at Mt. Tahhsin, 7,567m) to the Memdër Delta of Fuschal Bay in the south (lowest point: Yto Marsh, Bae, 4.6m below sea level). Snefaldia shares no borders with any nations due to the isolating nature of the mountains. Snefaldia is surrounded on all sides by high mountain ranges, with the Seril Mountains in the east, the Zogar Range to the west, the Hightops in the south, and the Velnar Mountains to the north. The central country is dotted with lakes and valleys, and the Saard river bisects the country, running from the northeast Velnars down through the southeast Serils before emptying into the Bay of Fuschal.

The Dayan Basin spreads across the central plain and is the breadbasket of the country. The Dayan flood plain forms the heart of Snefaldia. To the north are the Sring Issan highlands, defined by old-growth deciduous forests, sharps hills and low valleys, and small, numerous lakes. South of the Saard and Dayan is the subtropical Neer Dal (Dayan for "Great Forest"), home to marshes, expansive forests, and hundreds of small rivers.

Sandbars in the Saard near Tawsanggai.

To the west, in the foothills of the Zogars, is Allasha, a region defined by deep gorges and hot, windy steppes. The western region of Bae is largely rolling hills and valleys, considered excellent farmland.

The mouth of the Saard river forms the fertile, shallow Memdër delta. The rocky and steep terrain makes much of the area uninhabitable, but due to the regular flooding of the Saard the soil is very rich, and in history city-states took advantage of this. The high-altitude Shahd Plateau is cut by the Saard and rises up from the Dayan plain, continuing on to the sea and the port-city of Taxilha.

Climate & Environment

Snefaldia has a mixture of subtropical, temperate, and Alpine. The mountains are high and rocky, then lower in altitude are very hillish and flat before descending into the central plain. This change is elevation is reflected in the varied local climates. Many peope live in the traditional Snefaldian village. Conservation and the environment are taken very seriously, with the government Ministry of the Environment & Conservation maintaining a list of protected natural sites. There are stringent penalties for pollution.

Demographics

Most major cities and population centers of Snefaldia are often hundreds to thousands of years old. After the establishment of the Republic of Snefaldia in 1895, the complex system of regional counties and provinces was reformed and centralized; The 1965 Uniform Law established the modern system of 9 regional circuits and 1200 administrative counties. Several cities are classified as "Federal Metropoli" under the Basic Law, with special administrative status:

The High Chancellery Building at 1 Ministry Circle, Sargedain

Serasarda, seat of the faith of Aatem Nal and the Grand Library
Taxilha, largest city in Snefaldia and main seaport.
Mavátêisnáya^[romanize], seat of Neer Dal.
Korsahad, seat of Allasha.
Pholimjung, seat of Bae.
Isaardlang, seat of Sring Issa
Sargedain, national capital and seat of Dayan.

The capital of Snefaldia, Sargedain, straddles the Saard river, the largest and most important river in the nation, and is the largest city in the country. Serasarda, the religious and educational center of the nation, is located just north of the capital in the region of Sring Issa.

The second largest city is Taxilha, also the largest and most important seaport. Sitting at the mouth of the Saard and the entrance to the sea, Taxilha recieves all the sea trade that comes into the country. Conversely, Pholimjung in Bae is the largest source of finished goods for export, and has the highest percentage of skilled workers after Sargedain.

Korsahad, the capital of the Allashan region, can claim to be the largest provincial administration center outisde of Sargedain in Dayan, though it competes only with Mavátêisnáya in the Neer Dal for production of raw materials- in Allasha the top being stone and minerals, and in Neer Dal being lumber and diamonds.

Snefaldia has long been isolated from other nations, due to geography. Most foreign influence arrived through the mountain passes, and each region recieved a great deal of cultural influence from the peoples that made the trek over their respective mountain ranges.

A family from northern Sring Issa in traditional clothing.

Language

The official language is Bagura, but most Snefaldians also speak regional languages such as Sringi, Fehrdani, Kuwandian, Bajeong, Belädányán, or Melimentan, though there are many local tongues. Since Bagura is the national language, Snefaldians must learn enough to read government documents and understand state television. From 1395 until 1895, the court language was Tausite, a hybrid of middle Sringi and Bagura which developed among the aristocratic and scholarly classes during the Dayaniram; Tausite is mainly a religious language but is still spoken by many older residents in Serasarda and Isaardlang.

The standard Bagura is Central Dayan, or Standard, Bagura, derived from the language spoken in and around the city of Sargedain at the establishment of the Republic in 1895. There are various dialects, as with the other languages, and these are derived from the often fractured towns and clans of the early Dayan region. To the standard speaker of Bagura they may differ in syntax, grammar, and phonology.

Citizenship

Snefaldia citizenship is awarded at birth to the child of two citizens, or the child of a legally joined citizen and resident national. Resident nationals apply for special papers of residence, which allows them to live, work, and vote under special circumstances. Any resident national may apply for full citizenship, which affords full voting rights, a passport, and the elimination of certain taxes and fees paid by resident nationals. Non-citizen non-national aliens can enter the country with an array of special limited travel visas, and may apply first for resident national status before applying for full citizenship. National status is granted on a variety of grounds determined by the Ministry of State with oversight from Parliament, including economic reasons, refugee status, and treaty obligations. The children of two resident nationals born in Snefaldia may take take a citizenship test at age 16.

Several protected groups are afforded immediate citizenship: anyone from the the indigenous ethnic groups of the Sotahr Islands, any member of the seven nomadic tribes in metropolitan Snefaldia, and any immigrant who holds citizenship papers issued by the Republic of Snefaldia or can prove citizenship prior to 1963.

Ethnicity and Culture

Main article: Society and Ethnicity in Snefaldia

Snefaldia society is a multiethnic, with several distinct ethnic groups competing over land and resources. Largely divided along regional lines, the Dayan, Sringi, Bajeong, Beladanya & Sendaren Neeri, and Fehrdani & Kuwandi Allashan ethnic groups comprise the largest divisions of Snefaldia's many cultures, though many smaller and distinct groups are listed in government rolls, including northern Mallash, southern Savetêisnáyan, and northeastern Zhong. The government officially recognizes twelve major ethnic groups, with multiple smaller groups either unclassified or grouped as subsections of one or more of the major groups.

The twelve major divisions are:

Dayan
Sringi
Tejaaran
Beladanya Neeri
Sendaren Neeri
Fehrdani Allashan
Kuwandi Allashan
Tawsini
Zhong
Bajeong
Sotahr Islander

A "national" Snefaldian ethnic identity did not fully coalesce until the mid-19th century, and ethnic communities established abroad prior to 1895 generally do no consider themselves "Snefaldians." However, the States-Federation government, like the Tuhran Bel before it, has carried on Republic-era policies considering all ethnic groups originating in metropolitan Snefaldia as "Snefaldians" regardless of their place of birth or origin, restricted where necessary by national and international law. "Diaspora" or "Overseas Snefaldians" as they are called include the Taxilhan communities in Zamimbia, South Epheron, Aerion, and other countries in the Western Atlantic mostly established during the height of Taxilha's independent merchant empire; Sringi, Dayan, and Allashan communities that spread during the Time of Troubles, and more recent expatriate communities established after 1963.

The Ministry of State under successive Chancellors has pursued a policy of building relations with these communities abroad, financing cultural associations in other countries and offering incentives to investment, even offering dual citizenship to ethnic Snefaldians who purchase property or do business in Snefaldia.

There is some continuing ethnic conflict in Snefaldia, although very low-level, mostly relating to job discrimination and culture bias; in 2001 a study by Sargedain University found that on average Bajeong and Allashan people were 25% less likely to be hired for a high-paying job than their Dayan, Sringi, and Neeri countrymen; the study also found those same groups were 35% less likely to have a position in government. The States-Federation has taken steps to combat ethnic discrimination, particularly among minority groups and non-Snefaldian ethnic citizens.

Health

Risk of infectious disease is low on average, but higher in Neer Dal and Bae where waterborne diseases are more common. Government health policies have limited the spread of HIV/AIDS, and public health law mandates vaccination for infectious diseases, although recently public health budgets have been slashed and private health and pharmaceutical companies have burgeoned. The Ministry of Health requires all children to be vaccinated against a wide array of diseases although the policy has proven difficult to enforce in isolated communities.

Timekeeping

Snefaldia adopted the Gregorian calendar in 2007 for dates in all public dispatches, but prior to the adoption of the new calendar an Aatem Nal Calendar was used; this calendar counts years from the arrival of Aatem Nal in Snefaldia. Some businesses and publications still use this dating system.

Holidays are almost completely indigenous, with no foreign celebrations recognized by the government. Most traditional holidays are State Holidays, officially celebrated by central government.

Holidays:
- New Year - January 1
- Glénd Àtaléin (Neer Dal)- February 1
- Commemoration of Aatem Nal - March 1
- Festival of the Vernal Equinox
- Feast of the Flooding - ~April 2
- Penang Nang Xie (Bae)- April 12
- Feast of Ta'us- May 22
- Festival of the Summer Solstice - June 21
- Storm Day (Allasha)- July 26
- Festival of the Motions- First week of August
- Festival of the Autumnal Equinox - September 23
- Sangi-nergal (Spirit Days)- October 29, 30, 31
- Autmnal Harvest/Autumn Flood - November 16
- Ibal (Allasha) - December 19
- Pilgrimage Day - December 30

Government

Minister of State Tahyë Wølmeý, whose Ministry is responsible for a wide range of state affairs.

Main articles: Government of Snefaldia, Snefaldian Political Parties, and Lord High Chancellor (Snefaldia)

The modern Snefaldian state is best termed as a semiparliamentary system, with a bicameral legislature in the parliament and a central executive in the High Chancellery. Snefaldians citizens may vote at the age of 16 in any election for municipal, regional, or national governments without restriction. Snefaldian nationals, those who live and work in Snefaldia without citizenship, may cast votes only for municipal elections in their communities of residence, and only after a residency of three years.

The bicameral legislative parliament has an upper (Chamber of Regents) and lower (Assembly of Deputies) house. The executive office is held by a Lord High Chancellor, who serves as Head of State & Government, and is elected by national vote. The High Chancellery is the technical Prime Ministry, managing the state's cabinet ministries, and by extension the armed forces. The federal government is situated in the Capitol District of Sargedain, with the various Ministry and Chancellery buildings surrounding the city Shrine of Dain-da-Hol. The legislature meets in the Grand Hall of Parliament, recently the target of terrorist attack^[5].

In order to provide checks and balances against the power of the Chancellery, the legislature controls the budget and retains the sole right to make declarations of war or approve military expeditions; while the Chancellor's Ministers oversee the day-to-day operations of the Ministries, which include the State, War, and Foreign ministries. National intelligence services are provided by a secretive sub-department of the Ministry of State, officially called the "Bureau of Intelligence Services, Information Transfer, and Military Affairs" but colloquially called "the Citadel." The government officially denies being involved in any foreign espionage activities.

The country is divided into 9 Regional Circuits and 1200 counties, with Circuit Governors appointed by the Ministry of State overseeing Federal government business for the counties under their jurisdiction. Each county has Magistrate appointed by the central government, who oversees the judicial and administrative affairs of the county.

States

Snefaldia has five main administrative regions, three autonomous territories, and one overseas colony:

Dayan
Sring Issa
Bae
Allasha
Neer Dal
Shahd Autonomous Territory
Tawsanggai Grant Region
Kawaiian Autonomous Territory
Sotahr Island Colonies

Under the Uniform Law, the position of Governor in Tawsanggai, the Shahd, and the K.A.T. is more ceremonial; as Autonomous territories they maintain the right of self-rule. The Sotahr Islands have a Governor-General. Larger cities do not have multiple counties, but rather the Magistrate's office is larger in order to deal with the greater load on the government system.

Armed Forces

Main article: Military of Snefaldia

Snefaldia's military is divided into naval, air force, and army branches, and by national law all citizens are required to serve a two-year term in the armed forces, after which they are classified as "Reserve Forces"[2], although there has never been a need to mobilize these forces in the past half-century. The general attitude toward military funding is mixed, with several billion allocated and spent by Parliament during 2007 and early 2008, whereas the current and projected budgets completely ignore military funding.

Mechanized Infantry engaging in wargame maneuvers, part of the High Command's recent push for combat preparedness.

Recent expenditures increased the size and capabilities of the Navy and Air Force, with the United Nations reporting on October 12, 2007 that "Snefaldia's gigantic air force is both respected and feared." The purchases included new aircraft carriers and destroyers, as well as several hundred state-of-the-art combat aircraft[3]. The latest introduction to the arsenal was a space-based defense satellite, part of the Chancellery's plan to expand Snefaldia's space program and defend against foreign incursions. Most recently, the War Ministry has worked with Lyran Arms to redevelop military capability; and in 2011 received contingents of fightercraft from Yelda after the conclusion of their civil war.^[13]

State policy to military intervention is also mixed. In early 2008, the government dispatched naval and air forces to The Malibu Islands to help quell a rebellion of Altanari colonies[4], both to build relations with their government and protect the Sotahr Island colonies. Conversely, two months later the Assembly of Deputies refused to approve a Chancellery bill to dispatch armed forces to assist the legitimate government of Yelda [5]. In January 2009, the High Command dispatched officers to the Altan Steppes to advise and assist during an intraregional conflict in Lavinium [6].

Foreign Policy

Meniñım Prison, headquarters of the AO Diplomatic office

Foreign policy in Snefaldia is largely conducted along economic lines, with the government actively seeking favorable trade and investment partners.

The country maintains relations with members of the Antarctic Oasis, formerly sitting on the Regional Security Council before realigning politically with the Western Atlantic, and is a member of the Allied Antarctic Asskickers treaty, as well as a signatory to the Antarctic Oasis Economic Advancement Agreement (AOEAA). The Ministry of Foreign Affairs oversees all embassies and diplomatic relation regarding Snefaldia. Currently, the Ministry is headed by Ilionás Sondrásái as First Minister. In January, 2009, the Chancellery of Ren Dirh created the position of "Minister of W.A. Affairs," promoting WA Ambassador Nemo Taranton to the office.

The Foreign Legation are the nation's ambassadors to the world, many of whom were appointees under the Tuhran Bel. Representatives of foreign nations to Snefaldia are recorded as "diplomatic corps." Antarctic Snefaldia hosts the Antarctic Oasis diplomatic headquarters, located in Meniñım Prison

Culture

Snefaldia is widely multicultural along ethnic and regional lines, but all people share an identity as a "Snefaldia," whether they are Sringi, Neeri, Allashan, or Bajeong. Art, literature, ceremonies, celebrations, and much more varies between groups of people in the country, sometimes widely. Families are usually extended, even in the city. Fictive kinship is common in certain parts of the country. In rural areas and traditional villages, bilateral descent is the norm. Snefaldians usually marry someone from the same town, or a local clan. Homosexual relationships are not taboo, and in some parts of society encouraged.

Monogamy is the norm, but there are few social stigmas for extra-marital sexual relationships. Most marriages are for social status or resources, such as the joining of clans or advancement in rank. There are incest taboos for immediate family relatives as well as second cousins, but marriage of individual family members with someone from the same clan is common in Allasha and Bae.

Religion

Snefaldia has legal protections ensuring religious freedom, and has a wide variety of religious denominations represented in the country. Aatem Nal is the largest and most visible faith in Snefaldia, originating in the highlands of Sring Issa in the 14th century CE. Local religious practices, similar to animism and ancestor worship are very common; native traditions are generally not credal and can be practiced alongside other traditions despite possible contradictions; Snefaldians in general see little problem with this. Abrahamic faiths have been present since at least the 12th century CE when Christianity, Judaism, and Islam were introduced following the upheavals following the Crusades. Byzantine Orthodox and Roman Catholicism are the most predominant denominations, centered mostly in Allasha. Palaamian Mazdaism was introduced in the 9th century, and experienced a resurgence in Bae in the 16th century.

Although official policy ensures religious freedom, non-Aatem Nal minorities often complain of bias and discrimination, especially in the government, for their religious beliefs. They claim the entrenched cultural position of Aatem Nal harms them by creating an expectation that Snefaldians must belong to Aatem Nal, despite the large population of native non-Aatem Nal adherents.

Economy

Main article: Economy of Snefaldia

The principle exports of the country are agricultural products- both for consumption, industrial use, and private development. Mining in the mountainous areas yields copper, manganese, iron, coal, and some rare earth metals. Neer Dal and Sring Issa have large foresting industries, who comply by government mandate with World Assembly mandates.

The South Line in Taxilha, part of the new high-speed rail link.

The financial markets are largely based in Sargedain, which is home to the SNSE, the nation's largest stock exchange. Two other stock exchanges, the TAxB and the HOP, make up the largest part of Snefaldia's expanding stock market. The Lyran banking company, Lambda Financial, has wide market penetration.

The Royal Shipyards of Isselmere-Nieland, as well as several other shipwrights, have anchorages in Taxilha and the Obom Islands in Fuschal Bay; part of government efforts to reduce dependency on foreign powers for industrial production and military supplies.^[11] In February 2009, the Chancellery concluded trade agreements with the Empire of Urgench, expanding the Central Bank of Snefaldia in Tabriz. Urgenchi companies, including the Yorta Corporation and Hunduk Wellness Solution Ltd. were allowed latitude to establish branches in Snefaldia.^[12]

Wine, beer, and liquors are produced in many parts of the country, with distinctive traditional variants that have thus far failed to proliferate on the international market.

Drugs are legal and regulated in the States-Federation on a tiered basis depending on their impact on the user. Most drugs, like cannabis and other hallucinogens (including those used in religious services) can be purchased from a provider licensed by the government. Drugs like heroin and crack cocaine are more strictly regulated, and can only be found in monthly doses from a government-run dispensary with a medical license. It is illegal to sell any drug to someone under the age of 16. Many companies produce or grow drugs, and in some areas are subject to controlled appellations by area of origin, akin to wine or tea.

Media

The Ministry of Telecommunications manages television and radio broadcasts, though very loosely. Currently, Snefaldian TV carries programming from three foreign networks: selections from Ariddia's PINA, Cookesland's CBC, Knootoss's KNN and Kelssek's KBC.

There are a large number of national information service groups, and most Snefaldians prefer newspapers for their news, with local and regional news being covered by several language-specific papers. The largest and most popular are the Dayan-based Courier-Sarge, the Allashan paper Korsa Awake! and the Isaardlang-centered broadsheet New Herald Sring. National, international, and financial news is covered more completely by the Snefaldia Broadcasting Company, which receives funding from the government, as well as the independent news services of the Snefaldia Herald and Snefaldia Times. Public broadcasting is represented by Snefaldia Public Media, a broad-based media company.Aatem Nal publishes a weekly journal called the Motions-Herald, and independent foreign news is analyzed by the respected Raðá-Taŋ (Foreign Policy Monthly).