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11

The Rhein States Factbook (with Anniversary Awards)

"Nullius in Verba'' - "take nobody's word for it"

Proud member of The North Pacific
Member of the Keepers of the North


Issue Written By Me

Issue Number

Issue Name

Subject

1282

Resting In Peace

Collisions on overfull highway parking lots as trucks park on the exits.



The E-Democracy of The Rhein States


Flag


Motto: Nullius in Verba



Location


Population: 20,619 million
-Density: 619,49 per km2


Capital: Heidelberg
Largest City: Heidelberg


Official Language: Rhein Statesian



National Language: Rhein Statesian, English and German


Demonym: Rhein Statesian

Government:
- President: Hermann von Pückler-Muskau
- Vice President: Conrad von Hohenzollern
- Speaker of the House: Jan Jambom
- Chief Justice: Stefan Löfven


Legislature:
- Upper House: The Rikstaget
-Lower House: Bundestaget


Independence: 17th of July 1786


Land Area: 7 679 mile²
19 899 km²
Water Area: 500 km²
Water %: 4%


Elevation
Highest Point: Zugspitze 4,978 metres
Lowest Point: Lands End 7 metres below NAP


GDP (nominal): 11,877 trillion Rheiner Marks
GDP (nominal) per capita: 576,049 Rheiner Marks


HDI: 100.52 Human Development Index


[b]Currency: Rheiner Mark


Time Zone: UTC +3


Calling code: +219


Internet TLD: .trs

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Etymology



The Rhein states has been used frequently for many centuries by foreign entities and tradesman to refer to the many states surrounding the river Rhein. After the Unifying Revolution of 1786 citizens started reffering to the nation as The Rhein States, hence naming the nation.

The nation can be referred to as the E-Democracy or The Rhein States

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History


Romans
Romans conquered the western half of The Rhein States between 116BC and 8AD, up until the river Rhein, which lay much more in the east back then. They established the settlement of Colonia Heidelbergia (Heidelberg Colony). After 8AD the weather became colder and wetter leading to more crop failures and deaths, furthermore, Rheinstatian tribes crossed the river and attacked roman settlements in search of food. This was the start of Roman decline in the region as in later centuries plagues would ravage the Roman Empire and put a strain on society. Colonia Heidelbergia, with a population of twenty thousand, was officially abandoned by the Romans in 368AD.

Early Middle Ages
The Roman settlements developed into proto city states until they were conquered by the Franks pushing their empire boundaries eastward. The great emperor Charlemagne declared himself ruler of the Holy Roman Empire in 867AD. He was a supporter of ancient literature and science, investing in universities across his kingdom. The Heidelberg University was established in 879AD.

After his death in 886AD the Frankish Empire was divided under his three sons. Western Francia, Middle Francia and Eastern Francia, with the Rhein States becoming part of Middle Francia. The second brother (Middle Francia) inherited the crown and title but he got backstabbed by his other brothers in a two front war in 889AD. He lost his title and crown to his brother from Eastern Francia and The Rhein States became a part of Eastern Francia, renamed to the Holy Roman Empire.


The Rhein States during HRE Period

Late Middle Ages and Renaissance

In 1240AD King Otto II felt that the lords and dukes became too powerful and were weakening his strength. He therefore divided his land by granting free cities, monasteries and wealthy landowners independent rule as long as they supported his plans. As the centuries went on this would prove a fatal issue for the Holy Roman Empire as the rulers rivaled eachother more and more, dibilitating the power future emperors could exert.The Holy Roman Empire became a patchwork of little states with each their own ruler and rules.

The late middle ages were also the time of economic prosperity, mainly book publishing was booming as many neighbouring states outlawed too liberal or exotic manuscripts. Tradesman would travel far and wide to sell native products and bring exotic products back home. Giovanni Savonarola, a tradesman, travelled to a distant land and stayed their for 25 years before returning home and introducing pasta.

Revolutions of 1786 and 1789
The 5th Frankish Empire, bordering to the west of The Rhein States, annexed many states and the rest was puppeted. They ruled the lands very harsh. Anti-Frankish sentiments grew stronger and stronger and in year XII of the Frankish rule the Rhein Statesians revolted (Unifying Revolution) and although they were persecuted, pushed back the Franks across the Rhein Statesian Alps. A central government was installed and all states joined this new unified single state.

The central government was anything but democratic or aristocratic, it was a dictatorship under the leadership of John the White. A period followed of a lack of food supply, resulting in hunger, disease and death. In 1789, almost three years after the central government was formed, rioters surrounded the dictators residence. Forcing themselfs inside the building and capturing John. Parts of his body were cut and partially eaten or thrown to the dogs.

The Rhein States was nothing but an empty shell. The people were bereft on almost everything, the economy completly collapsed because of the revolts and the unrest that followed. Life expectancy was only half compared to pre-1786.

Industrial Revolution
The central government focussed their policies for decades on repairing the damage done by the dictatorship. Industrialisation was not a top priority and it took quite some time before it reached The Rhein States. The central government didn’t take any action and believed it to be best to let the market find it’s equilibrium. Booms and busts were normal in the every day life of the 19th century Rhein Statesians. A great disparity between the rich and the poor drove a rift in society that was not easily fixed as Rhein Statesians are anything but politically apathetic, nor ignorant.

The Great War Without The Rhein States
As many nations in the world joined a side during the Great War of 1923-1928, the government decided to stay neutral to dismay of immigrants. The government had no other option then to lock the immigrants up until the war was over to prevent social unrest but there was something brewing within society that many officials remained oblivious of.

The Social Revolution
On the 24th of November 1932, Conrad von Hohenstaufen gave a speech on the Great Square of Heidelberg to tens of thousands of listeners. How the great divide between the poor and the rich was damaging society. High rates of drug use, different levels of Health Care and Education, the undemocratic rule of the central government and many more issues were addressed. This led to a chain reaction with protests all across The Rhein States and the resignation of the central government on the 14th of January 1933. The following months were used to instal referenda, a new democratic constitution and a democraticaly elected government with women’s suffrage. Loyalists of the central government fled to Bornum island in the East Sea and founded The Victonian League where a terror regime was installed that lasted for four decades. After which the inhabitants decided to become an autonomous part of The Rhein States, where capitalism is allowed. The Victonian League retains some degree of independence in setting policies, mainly economic ones, others have to be harmonized with the mainland. Ocassionally it can happen that harmonization happens the other way round. The Rhein States switched from observing Daylight Saving Time after valid arguments were made to change the policy.

Modernity
Recent years have been stable and succesful governments have developed the nation to its current glory. Especially the government of Hermann von Pückler-Muskau with the Economic and Social Development Programm (ESDP) which has revolutionized the Rhein Statesian economy.

For the first time since the revolution the government will enforce conscription again.

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Geography



Habitat Regions Map

The Rhein States is a very geographically diverse nation, ranging from expansive grasslands to mountains and from wet swamps to dry hills. There are 5 classified natural habitats, each with their own distinctive flora and fauna. These regions are; North Sea and Holy Straits, Land's End, the Curovian Lagoons and Heidelberg bay, the Flatlands and the Rheinstatesian Alps. Bounded by land to the East, South and West, by water to the north.

North Sea and Holy Cross Straits
The North Sea represents the northwest border of The Rhein States and the Holy Cross Straits the North and Northeast borders.

The North Sea is a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean and has a maximum depth of 700 meters. Storm tides are very common during lower pressure systems, combined with the shallow depth and orientation of the coastline they can have devastating effects.

The Holy Cross Straits, connecting the North Sea (Atlantic) to the Black Sea, consists of a series of shallow plateaus and ridges that hinder water exchange between the two seas. Oxygen levels in the water decrease gradually moving from the North Sea into the Black Sea.

Historically these straits have been heavily contested by various nations as many trading ships had to cross these straits and high tolls were collected by whoever controlled them. As of the Heidelberg Convention of 1857 the straits are considered international waterways eliminating the tolls. Many shipswrecks can be found along the coast because of the shallow rocky nature of the coastline.

In 1895 the Heidelberg canal opened for ships significantly shortening the travel times.

Land’s End
Land's End borders the North Sea and the Holy Cross Straits, and is called a headland in geographical terms and falls in the same category as bays. Headlands are characterized by breaking waves, rocky shores, intense erosion and steep sea cliffs. Many a trading ship has sunk around its shoreline and it is now a hot spot for divers.


The Kings Chair in Laudenbach National Park


the delta works in action

Land's End is part of the Laudenbach National Park.

Curovian lagoons and Heidelberg Bay
The Curovian lagoons have been seperated from the Heidelberg Bay for almost 5000 years. A very thin sand-dune spit developed where the Rhein entered the Heidelberg bay, pushing the river further eastward and creating lagoons in this process.
Deforestation of the spit, overfishing and pollution have almost wiped out the Curovian lagoons. In 1976 the Curovian lagoons, spit and surrounding forests have been designated as a natural habitat for the millions of birds that migrate along this stretch of land and for those that breed here.

Flatlands
Low, flat to rolling terrain stretches for most of the central part of The Rhein States. Most of the rivers originate from the Rheinstatesian Alps and move through this vast terrain towards the North Sea or Heidelberg Bay making the lands around them very fertile. Percipitation is higher in the west, near the alps.
The flatlands are the agricultural heart but are also a cultural gem as many castles can be found along the shores of the rivers.

The Rheinstatesian Alps
The Rheinstatesian Alps rose as a result of the slow but gigantic pressure of the Franconian plate as it moved north against the stable North Pacifican landmass. In particular, Francia (which had been a separate island) got pushed into The Rhein States. The Alps act as a watershed for both the North Sea and Black Sea feeding many of the great rivers, including the Rhein, in the E-democracy.

The mountain chain stretches from West to South along the Southwestern border and are divided into the Western Alps and the Southern Alps, the western alps are higher but the southern alps cover a larger area.

Delta Works
The Delta Works are a series of dykes, dame, sluices and storm surge barrieres in the northwest part of The Rhein States. The aim of the project was protecting Heidelberg against North Sea storm surges. The largest dam, the Pückler-Muskau dam, is 50 kilometers long and connects the mainland with the airport, which has been build on an artificial island.

There have been concerns about the environmental impact of the gargantuan project. Desalination of the enclosed body of water, pollution due to heavy naval traffic and habitat loss for migrating birds, amfibians and various land animals.
Opposition against the original plans, which would have closed of the entire body of water, quickly grew, almost leading to the cancellation. Changes were made to make the structure as open as possible.

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Politics


Abortion: Legal
AI Personhood: Legal
Death Penalty: Abolished
Euthanasia: Legal
Gay Marriage: Legal
Gay Adoption: Legal


The Bundesländer of the E-Democracy

The Rhein States is a constitutional federal republic.The president, Rikstaget and Bundestag are all democratically elected every 4 years by all Rheinstatesians 18 years and older. The parliament consists of two chambers: The Rikstaget (this is the house of representatives, elected every four years at the same time as the president) and the Bundestag (this is the senate consisting of 100 seats, each state has a number of seats corresponding to its population and seats are distributed according to election results in that state).

Each party that is represented in the Rikstaget sends one representative to the Federal Council, together they make the government of The Rhein States. The president is no more important than the other members.

Constituent States
The Rhein States comprises five federal states which are collectively referred to as Bundesländer. Each state has its own state constitution and is largely autonomous in regard to its internal organisation. As of 2005 The Rhein States is divided into 201 districts (Kreise) at a municipal level; these consist of 140 rural districts and 61 urban districts.

Military
The Rhein States hasn't had an army for a very long time as most of the nations citizens oppossed war. Threats and the risk of an invasion have made the government reconsider their initial view. The number of pacifists declined while the number of jingoists grew. Government juggles between these different opinions by sometimes siding with one or the other, depending on what is best for the nation. Sometimes opting for an invasion and sometimes to do nothing.

The Rheinstatesian Army is organised into infantry, navy, artillary, airforce, space and medical branches.

Flag
The Rhein Statesian flag consists of three equaly sized horizontal strips with the colors (from top to bottom): Orange, White and Blue. On the centerleft side is a black cross of five locking rhombuses resembeling the five Bundesländer: Heidelberg (Middle), Vasjö (North), Trelleborg (East), Jutland (South), Westphalia (West)

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Economy



The Rhein States has a socialist market economy with a highly skilled and efficient labour force, a low level of corruption and a high level of innovation. Major economic sectors are Information Technology, Tourism, Book Publishing, Agriculture and Retail. The nation has been turned from net importer to a net exporter in a short period of time.

Economic and Social Development Program


One of the largest datacenters in the world
The Rhein States was very slow to industrialize and was primarily focussed on producing books for centuries. In recent years government has supported businesses in order to develop the E-Democracy into an economing powerhouse. Through the ESDP (economic and social development program) sectors that were absent in the economy could receive support from government through legislation and subsidies.

This revolutionized the economy as many sectors were added. The dominance of the Book Publishing sector quickly eroded as Information Technology was granted huge quantities of government funds. Tourism has been growing each year since and has now also overtaken Book Publishing as the second major sector in the economy.

Still the diversification was not enough as certain sectors remained absent due to strict rules set by the government to get subsidies. Most notably was the food supply issue. Almost all the food had to be imported and the government would be unable to take action if these supplies dried up. Therefore agriculture got a huge boost by government under the programm ‘Grow Your Own’. Since then The Rhein States has become one of the largest suppliers of food in the world.

Economic growth is slowing down at a gradual pace. An enormous amount of citizens are employed today and the government does not see much gains to be made in the near future. Technological advancement and economic efficiency have become the key words for future development of the E-Democracy both economically and socially.

The Covid pandemic has shown that the economy remains vulnerable to shocks in the supply chain, for example the major shortage in semiconductors and, subsequently, computer chips. Even the green industry needs vast amounts of minerals (common and rare) to be able to function. This has led to the expansion of the ESDP to a sector that has been shunned by government, mining. In order to keep supplies up the only solution seems to be mining ourselfs. Stringent rules and regulations will remain to be enforced in order to make sure the workers are safe. In October 2023 the first mining company started operations in The Rhein States, with more mines set to open in the near future.

November 2023 marks the official end of the Economic and Social Development Programm, the programm took 5 years and 6 months IRL.

Infrastructure
Bicycle lanes are very abundant due to their popularity with Rhein Statesians and because cars have been banned for a while. The government has expanded the road network, which has been absent altogether, to accomodate the growing number of drivers. Priority is given to ambulances, police, fire brigades and other service vehicles as citizens are discouraged to drive.

There is an extensive rail network connecting all major cities, big towns and some smaller ones too. About 7300 kilometers of rail are layed out creating a dense network. Heidelberg is connected to most other capital cities in The North Pacific with the High Speed Rail.

Buses are heavily subsidized and are forbidden to have ads on them. Double decker buses are not allowed on the road for safety reasons.

Heidelberg international airport is the largest of its kind in The Rhein States with over 480 thousand flights in 2021. The airport has been relocated to a man-made island in order to reduce air and noise pollution in the suburbs of the capital. Only long distance flights are being offered as people are encouraged to used other modes of transport for shorter distances.

The Rhein States has one of the best internet coverages in the world and the most broadband subscriptions in The North Pacific. Museums have a phones off policy as there are more then sufficient screens to look at.

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Culture


The Rhein States is a very cultured nation most notable for the many ancient books in the numerous libraries, subsidized concert halls with occasional cannon fire, museums full of led screens, sports stadiums and authors.


Old farmhouse with ochre window frames
and olivegreen shutters
Architecture
The historic centers of many cities consist of trade houses. These houses are often long, tall and deep. Trade goods were stored in the basement and attic. Many different architectural styles exist as these houses were build and upgraded through the ages.
Modern Neighbourhoods in cities and young towns are carecterized by Bauhaus style. The teachings emphasis form and materials. There should be nothing extraneous, nothing unnecessary, no ornamentation, just the bare essentials. An object is defined by its nature. The resulting aesthetic is one that was simple, austere, efficient.
Older towns are characterized by brick buildings with typically ochre window frames and olivegreen window shutters. Buildings that have not been placed under the national trust, and could thus be renovated, more often have charcoal grey window frames. Another distinctive feature are the anchor plates that dot the outside walls and give these houses their character.

A lot of medieval buildings have been lost during the civil war and renovations. Most public buildings (government, train stations, airports) can be placed into one of two styles. They are either in a renaissance/baroque stye with very rich ornamentations and large rooms, or in the already named Bauhaus style which focusses on form and texture.

Music
The Rhein States has a rich and divers musical traditions. Classical music has been a pilar within society since the late 17th century. Many of the great music halls date back to that era. Louis Andriesen is the most famous Rhein Statesian composer mixing stravinsky with minimalism.
Contemporary music is heavily influenced by the music styles of post 1950s. Rock, pop, jazz and dance are all very common and everyone will be able to find something to their taste. Most artists sing in English and some have become very popular abroad. Also, hip-hop in our native language is very popular.

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