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#Post#: 6761--------------------------------------------------
Frijstaat Factbook
DIR By: hoffmad08
Date: August 17, 2015, 4:10 pm
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Background:
Frijstaat was initially settled by Dutch and German refugees
fleeing war and persecution in Europe. The original founders of
the Free Land of Frijstaat believed that the horrors they had
experienced in Europe were the direct result of strong,
centralized authority, alienated from the people. In
establishing their new society, the founders of the small nation
sought to ensure that the people of Frijstaat would always have
ultimate control over their own destinies and be free from the
threat and violence of central government authority. Early
Frijstaater founders, such as Koenraad van der Bijl and
Friedrich von Fallersleben (the eventual 1st president),
fashioned the new nation in the image of the Icelandic
Commonwealth of centuries before, which they viewed as an ideal
decentralized system that empowered the people and effectively
checked the growth and tyranny of central power.
Geography:
Location: Northeastern NCSA, encompassing the former states of
New Hampshire and Vermont, as well as parts of Maine and New
York.
Climate: temperate climate with long, cold, snowy winters and
short, moderately warm summers
Terrain: mountainous with thick, lush forests
Natural resources: iron ore, granite, lumber, furs, fish
People & Society:
Noun: Frijstaater(s)
Adjective: Frijstaater (occasionally Frijstaatian)
Ethnic groups: Dutch, German, English, Polish, Swedish,
Hispanic, French, others. (The majority of Frijstaaters are
descended from the original Dutch and German settlers, but
immigration is quickly changing the ethnic makeup of the
nation.)
Languages: German & Dutch act as languages of government, but
English, Spanish, and French are widely spoken. There is no
official national language.
Religion: Protestant (34%), Catholic (29%), non-religious (27%),
other (10%)
Major urban areas: Felsenberg [Manchester, NH], New Amsterdam
[Burlington, VT], Neubrandenburg [Plattsburgh, NY]
Government:
Country name:
Conventional long form: Free Land of Frijstaat
Conventional short form: Frijstaat
Local long form: Freistaat des Frijstaater Volkes / Vrijstaat
van de Frijstaaters
Local short form: Frijstaat
Government type: constitutional federation
Capital:
Name: Felsenberg
Geographic coordinates: 42 59 N, 71 27 W
Administrative districts: 5 semi-autonomous regions – Hohnfels,
Nordheim, Bergenland, Ostbrücken, Karnolien
National holiday: Federation Day (5 May)
Legal system: polycentric legal system influenced by the
Icelandic Commonwealth model
Suffrage: 18 years of age, universal
Executive branch:
Chief of state: President Erik Müller
Head of government: Chief Minister Anna Holbein
Cabinet (National Council): Cabinet comprised of each
Representative gaining the most votes from each of the 5
districts. The Head of Government is then chosen by the
National Council from among its own members.
Elections: president is elected by popular vote for a single
5-year term
Legistlative branch:
Unicameral National Assembly (parliament) (50 seats, members are
elected by popular vote to serve 4-year terms). Each
administrative district has 5 “Representative” titles. These
titles are property and can be bought, sold, and/or inherited.
Each district receives 10 seats in the National Assembly to be
divided among the 5 Representatives. The distribution of these
seats is proportional, meaning some Representatives may not make
it to the National Assembly. (Each district has their own rules
about exactly how these seats are distributed. In Hohnfels, for
example, Representatives not initially meeting the threshold for
a National Assembly seat are allowed to form coalitions with
more popular Representatives to take one of their delegated
seats in the National Assembly.) If a Representative gains more
than 1 seat in the National Assembly, he/she may choose who will
fill the other seat. The Representative usually announces who
this will be before the election, but it is not required. This
is the only way for Frijstaaters without a Representative title
to become members of the National Assembly, but is very common.
Two years after the beginning of a Representative’s term, the
citizens of a district may vote to strip a Representative of
his/her title if a compelling case can be made before the
district court and 2/3 of the voters agree to it in a
district-wide referendum. In the event of a removal, the
Representative loses the title and it is auctioned off. The
replacement Representative cannot take office until the next
election cycle begins, however.
Judicial branch:
Highest court: National Court of Justice (NCJ), sometimes
referred to as the 6th Court (consists of 5 judges)
Judge selection and term of office: Judges are elected by
popular vote for a single 25-year term. The National Council
may veto judicial candidates, but can be overridden by a 2/3
public vote. Each administrative district elects one of the
judges in the NCJ.
Subordinate courts: 5 district courts
Flag description:
Two equal horizontal bands of light blue (top) and black with a
large golden semicircle in the center of the light blue field
with 5 golden ovals under one another in the black field. 12
rays extend from the top of the disk. The design represents the
sun rising over the unknown to illuminate and guide the nation.
In the flag, black represents determination and the rejection of
strong centralized authority, light blue represents freedom and
peace, and gold represents wealth and justice.
[img]
HTML https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTRN4LueiVCqDCUA_s9bdIzdUMVxpSHRjbOpfq5MyAXdYo-TrCL[/img]
National flag of Frijstaat
National symbol(s): hedgehog, colors: black, blue, yellow
#Post#: 8406--------------------------------------------------
Re: Frijstaat Factbook
DIR By: hoffmad08
Date: August 27, 2015, 11:46 pm
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District Information
Map of the Administrative Districts of Frijstaat
[img]
HTML http://i.imgur.com/znUYm64.png?1[/img]
Hohnfels
Capital: Ackershafen [Portland, ME]
Land Area: 12,728 sq.mi.
History: The region of Hohnfels is named for the first
settlement in Frijstaat. Koenraad van der Bijl was one of the
early settlers and did much to develop the region agriculturally
and economically. His estate 15 miles south of present-day
Felsenberg (Burg Hohnstein) now functions as the National Palace
and the official residence of the Frijstaater head of state.
Upon the founding of the federation between the 5 districts,
Hohnfels offered its largest city, Felsenberg, to be the capital
of the new federation. Though it had hitherto acted as the
capital of Hohnfels, Felsenberg was converted to the national
capital, and the 5 districts agreed that the national capital
and a district capital could never be located within the same
city, as they feared it might cause government power in one
district to become too centralized. As such, the capital of
Hohnfels was moved east to Ackershafen, the second largest city
in the district. Hohnfels is home to the 1st District Court.
Flag: The eagle represents strength and resilience. Red
represents courage and bravery. Blue represents freedom and
perserverance. The white of the eagle represents both
peace/purity and the winter snow. The black is purely an accent
and has no ascribed meaning.
HTML http://i.imgur.com/IOUWwit.png
Karnolien
Capital: Peterhof [Bennington, VT]
Land Area: 8,035 sq.mi.
History: Karnolien was first settled by Dutch refugees, and the
district maintains a strong Dutch character in terms of its
culture and customs. Historically, Karnolien was the least
receptive to the idea of unification under a constitutional
federation, and they were the last district to sign on to the
Articles of Confederation and Eternal Brotherhood (Artikel der
Konföderation und ewiger Bruderschaft/Artikelen van de
Confederatie en eeuwigdurende Broederschap). Karnolien feared
that as a consequence of the union's formation, the ability of
the people to affect change would be limited and their rights
stripped. Despite many years of peaceful coexistence with their
fellow Frijstaaters, Karnolien remains skeptical of initiatives
from Felsenberg and often spearheads movements to decrease the
power of the national government. Karnoliers view themselves as
very forward-thinking and point to their districts long history
of civil rights as a testament to this fact. As an example,
Karnolien allowed women to vote 49 years before Hohnfels (the
second district to allow this) and 63 years before women's
suffrage was the law across Frijstaat as the result of
national-level legislation. Karnolien is home to the 2nd
District Court.
Flag: The laurel represents the desire for peace and friendship
with others, whereas the snake represents the willingness to
stand and fight against outside aggressors. The black also
represents this willingness to resist foes both domestic and
foreign. The green represents the lush environment of
Karnolien.
HTML http://i.imgur.com/EdaHEpf.png
Nordheim
Capital: Neubrandenburg [Plattsburgh, NY]
Land Area: 8,129 sq.mi.
History: Nordheim was settled almost exclusively by German and
Dutch settlers and remains the most ethnically-homogeneous of
the 5 administrative districts in Frijstaat. In stark contrast
to its southern neighbor, Nordheim was a strong proponent of
confederation before the formation of Frijstaat and notable
Nordheimer leaders, such as Johan Schapendonk and Friedrich von
Fallersleben (the eventual 1st president of Frijstaat), worked
tirelessly to bring the nation together. Von Fallersleben,
whose family had founded Nordheim, had initially proposed that
the national capital be located in Neubrandenburg, the second
largest city at the time, but could not convince the other
founders to allow the capital to be located at such an extreme
end of the nation. Nordheim is home to the 3rd District Court.
Flag: The black represents a willingness to fight against
tyranny. The red represents the courage and blood that may be
offered in defense of the land. The color gold represents
wealth and justice. The black 'X' in the upper left-hand corner
is an homage to flag of Amsterdam and the many Dutch settlers in
the region.
HTML http://i.imgur.com/1U3el1g.png
Bergenland
Capital: New Amsterdam [Burlington, VT]
Land Area: 8,677 sq.mi.
History: As its name suggests, Begenland is a mountainous
district, which has deeply influenced its character. The
district is spotted by numerous, small towns that remain
relatively isolated from one another. Perhaps surprisingly,
Bergenland is one of the most diverse regions in Frijstaat,
benefiting from many waves of immigration from Scandinavia, the
Netherlands, Germany, Ireland, France, Spain, and Poland. Of
all the administrative districts, Bergenland is most willing to
accept government interference as a legitimate way to solve
problems. As such, Bergenland is often viewed by other
Frijstaaters as an entirely different country within the
confides of an anti-authoritarian nation. While Bergenländer
are often portrayed by their opponents as democratic socialists,
they, like all Frijstaaters, share a deep love of freedom from
government and great mistrust of most government action.
Bergenland is home to the 4th District Court.
Flag: The cross design represents the many Scandinavian settlers
of the region as well as the many Dutch settlers (this type of
cross is common in Dutch city flags). The black represents the
struggle of Bergenland's forefathers in Europe and the
willingness of the people to fight against tyranny. The blue
represents freedom, as well as the many streams and rivers
throughout the district. Yellow represents justice and wealth,
and the green represents prosperity and the beautiful
environment.
HTML http://i.imgur.com/SlERTfp.png
Ostbrücken
Capital: Uppsaloog [Augusta, ME]
Land Area: 28,109 sq.mi.
History: Despite being the easternmost district and having an
extensive coastline, Ostbrücken was one of the last regions
settled by Frijstaater immigrants. The very first immigrants to
the area were from Ireland and fled drought and persecution.
The legacy of these early Irish settlers is nearly non-existent,
however, as successive waves of Dutch and German immigration
supplanted the original Irish culture. In more recent years,
there has been a movement to revitalize the culture of the first
settlers. The newly-adopted flag (see below) came about as part
of this movement, replacing the old tricolor (black, yellow,
light blue) which had been modeled on the Dutch flag and which
had represented the region since the first major wave of Dutch
settlers. The colors of the old flag were the inspiration for
the current national Frijstaater flag. Ostbrücken is also
easily the largest of the 5 districts, and is more than twice as
large as the second largest district (Hohnfels). Ostbrückner
tend to be very reserved, private individuals, which is perhaps
why Ostbrücken is the only region to have never hailed a
president or chief minister. Ostbrücken is home to the 5th
District Court.
Flag: The blue represents freedom and the sea, as most people in
Ostbrücken leave near the coast or on rivers. The triskelion
represents both the heritage of the original Irish settlers of
the region (although they were quickly overrun by German and
Dutch settlers) and the holy trinity, as Ostbrücken served as a
haven for Catholics fleeing persecution elsewhere. The design
on the rightmost edge is an homage to classic Ostbrücker
embroidery, for which the region is well-known throughout
Frijstaat. With a 1:2 size ratio, the Ostbrücker flag is also
the only flag commonly used in Frijstaat without a 2:3
height/length ratio.
HTML http://i.imgur.com/7l4GvbW.png
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