Leistung

Bundesrepublik Leistung
Federal Republic of Leistung
Bundesrepublik Leistung Federal Republic of Leistung
Flag	Coat of Arms
	Motto: "Unus pro omnibus, omnes pro uno"
	Anthem: Ich habe einen Kameraden [1];
	Leistung in Haven
Located in	Haven
Capital	Falkenberg
Largest	Hafenstadt
Official languages	Leistungi German
Recognised regional languages	Walliser German, French
Demonym	Leistungi
Government	Federal Semi-presidental republic
Establishment
Area
Population
GDP (PPP)	2009 estimate
GDP (nominal)	2009 estimate
HDI (2009)	.993 (High)
Currency	Bundesmark (BND)
Internet TLD	.lei
Calling code	+45

From WikiStates

Jump to: navigation, search

Leistung, officially the Federal Republic of Leistung (German: Bundesrepublik Leistung), is a member-state of the Leistungi Union in Haven, consisting of the Leistungi mainland and a number of smaller outlying islands. It is bordered by fellow member-state Westhafen to the northwest, the Praetonian colony of New Somerset to the southeast, and Paypilazhen to the southwest. The climate is considered mostly alpine, with the mainland often reaching temperatures below freezing even in the spring. The territory of Leistung covers 4,963,960 km², about 6.99% of which is water.

The recorded history of Leistung begins in the early eleventh century AD when the Eisleben Accords were signed by Germanic settlers originating in the southern part of the continent; the Accords provided for the establishment of a German-dominated monarchical state centered around Falkenberg. After the breakup of the Imperial government in 1946 following the death of Kaiser Franz XXI and the end of the Imperial line, popular opinion turned toward the rewriting of the Constitution to create a liberal democratic state. The Federal Constitution was signed without bloodshed in Falkenberg in December of 1946.

As the founding member of the Leistungi Union, Leistung is responsible for the foreign affairs and defense of thirteen other nations, all former colonies of either the monarchy or the republic pre-1973. The LU's role in daily life is percieved as being relatively small, as each state conducts its own domestic policy. Still, the well-being of ethnically Leistungi individuals in the other states of the LU is a major concern of the Leistungi government.

Leistung consists of nine cantons in a semi-presidental, non-partisan, democratic, federal republic, with the Falkenberg canton also doubling as the federal seat of government. Leistung is the founding member of ODECON and a member of SETO and the Sovereign League. As a major power virtually untouched by war, Leistung has developed a high standard of living with an often extensive social welfare system. Leistung is unique among its neighbors for its system of direct democracy, which supplements its parliament in the form of referendums, initiatives, and on the cantonal level, recalls.

Etymology

Though the name Leistung is popularly believed to be derived from a Peninsular word meaning "rock of the peninsula", there is no conclusive evidence to support this theory beyond second-hand accounts. All first-hand knowledge of Peninsular languages was lost during the Imperial conquest of the Chamaedrian Peninsula, though it is commonly believed that the first Germanic settlers of the region heavily borrowed the language of the native population, and the University of Falkenberg History Department considers the Peninsular theory to be essentially correct.

Interestingly, in standard German the word Leistung is used to express numerous things, most of which would be translated into English as "power", and in many cases "horsepower". In Leistungi German, however, the word is used solely to refer to the Federal Republic; as such, foreign speakers often have trouble discerning when a Leistungi speaker is referring to his or her home country or is simply speaking in standard German for the benefit of the listener.

History

Main article: History of Leistung

Early history

The earliest fossil records available to scientists indicate that the Chamaedrian Peninsula was populated by a number of hunter-gatherer tribes as early as 2000 BCE. Though written records in Leistung do not exist until the eleventh century AD, archeological evidence shows a number of settlements interspersed throughout the peninsula between that time and the advent of Imperial Leistung. The earliest descendants of modern Leistungis were Germanic settlers from the southwest of Haven, and written evidence from these early settlers, especially the Chemnitz Manifesto, indicates that these settlements were also inhabited by Germanic peoples.

There is, in the entire time period between the Chemnitz Manifesto (the first written record recovered from Leistung) and the first fossil records from the peninsula, virtually no concrete evidence about the region's inhabitants. Ethnogenesis for the Leistungi people was a sharp and clearly defined event — those Germans who were a part of one of the Leistungi kingdoms were considered Leistungi after the signing of the Accords. Those who were not were either wiped out or died out, tribal lifestyles not able to sustain them in the harsh alpine environment.

The fact that the Leistungi Empire was originally comprised of a number of autonomous fiefs and counties meant that there was no real racial unity in the formation of Leistung. Leistung's history prior to the signing of the Eisleben Accords is the history of an untold number of ethnically diverse tribes and small independent settlements.

Imperial Leistung

Modern history

Politics

Main article: Politics of Leistung

Leistung is a semi-presidental, non-partisan, democratic, federal republic. Its political framework is based around the Leistungi Federal Constitution, signed into law December, 1946. The Constitution, or Verfassung, is a binding document which lays out the powers of the executive versus the Bundestag, or parliament, and includes a declaration of rights for the Leistungi populace. The Verfassung can only be amended by a three-fourths referendum by the Bundestag, such an event occurring seven times during the history of the Federal Republic.

In addition to the Chancellor, who functions as the executive and de facto head of state, the role of head of government is filled by the Premierminister, or Prime Minister, who is appointed by the Chancellor and approved by the Bundestag. The Premierminister supervises the government and proposes a list of ministers to the Chancellor. He or she may be dismissed by the legislature every three years.

The Chancellery Building in Falkenberg

Leistung is a freely associating member of the Leistungi Union, which is comprised of the Federal Republic's former colonial possessions and Leistung itself. As the founding member of the Union, Leistung is granted the power to unilaterally determine the organization's foreign policy; it also mints the currency of the organization. Furthermore, the Union makes extensive use of the Federal Constitution in its Act of Union, including the list of natural rights and the judicial processes of the Federal Republic.

The duties of First Citizen of the Leistungi Union are often subject to intense controversy, but from a legal standpoint, the Chancellor of Leistung answers to the First Citizen. In practice, however, the First Citizen allows the workings of the member-states of the Union to proceed unhindered. For this reason, the Chancellor of Leistung is generally considered head of state.

Bundestag Building.

Federal executive branch

The current Chancellor and de facto head of state for the Federal Republic is Ludwig Ritter. The Chancellor is elected for six-year terms and may be elected indefinitely, so long as he maintains the approval of a majority of the nation. His or her most important role is the appointment of the Prime Minister, who is responsible for the running of government. The Chancellor's office can also issue executive decrees to any minister or ministry to set a course of action with the approval of the Prime Minister.

The Chancellor meets with foreign dignitaries to discuss treaties or agreements, which he can then give to the Bundestag for approval or put up for referendum, depending on the type of agreement. He proposes the budget to the Bundestag, which then must be approved by a simple majority. In addition to his administrative duties, the Chancellor appoints generals and admirals to the Bundeskriegsministerium, or War Ministry, who in turn run the military of Leistung.

Though the Chancellor wields somewhat restricted de jure powers, he is effectively the head of both government and state while he has the sympathy of a majority of parliament, as he is then permitted to choose a Prime Minister who will consult with him on all decisions. When this is not possible, the Prime Minister and Chancellor must share power in a cohabitation agreement. Since the Bundestag holds elections every three years instead of the Chancellor's six, this is somewhat common halfway through the Chancellor's term.

Federal parliament

The Bundestag is a unicameral legislature made up of representatives from each of the nine cantons, equal to the number of citizens in each Canton divided up equally into voting districts. The Bundestag must always consist of exactly five hundred members, so each year that the population increases, each citizen's vote is worth slightly less, and each representative represents slightly more people.

As outlined by the Verfassung, the Bundestag is led by a Prime Minister, appointed by the Chancellor and subject to approval by the legislature. The current Prime Minister is THAT GUY The Prime Minister has the power to appoint members of the Federal Council, members of which include the Ministers of Defense, Commerce, and Foreign Affairs, as well as having the power to regulate or give instructions to federal agencies. In practice, the Prime Minister consults with the Chancellor on these decisions while the Bundestag is sympathetic to the Chancellor.

The Bundestag has the power to impeach the Chancellor at any time, replace the Prime Minister every three years, vote either for or against the federal budget, declare war with the consent of the Chancellor (or overturn his veto of the declaration with a three-fourths majority), and propose bills, which are then voted into law by a simple majority. It is widely considered to be the most powerful branch of federal government, especially when in a position to block appointment of a Prime Minister to force a cohabitation agreement.

Political divisions

Leistung is comprised of nine cantons, which function as administrative divisions. The cantons provide for taxation and local social welfare programs, as well as mustering of Bürgerwehr divisions within their jurisdiction, education, and policing. Historically, cantons were given an even larger degree of autonomy, to the point of near-independence; with the signing of the Federal Constitution, cantons were brought under the control of the federal government in Falkenberg.

Geography

Leistung is traditionally divided into three areas based on geographical characteristics. The three regions, the coastal area, the southern bend, and the inland region, contrast each other in terms of climate, elevation, and area -- the inland region, for example, covers far more of Leistung. Contrasting the mountainous interior, the coastal region of Leistung can readily be described as a belt of rolling hills, basins, and river deltas. Unlike the inland region, the coastal belt enjoys a mostly temperate climate, with cold winters and cool summers.

Topographical map of Leistung

Mountainside village of Osterfeld, with the Ehret Range in the distance

Inland, Leistung is almost completely covered in mountains, with extremely high elevations broken by alpine valleys and lakes. All of Leistung's eight major lakes are located in the interior region, though the rivers stemming from those lakes almost all enter what can be considered the coastal region before reaching the sea. The belt of mountains which runs from the north of Leistung to to southwest is dubbed the Ehret Range, and includes ninety-eight peaks which are recorded as being higher than 5,000 meters.

Inland water in Leistung is characterized by deep rivers and alpine lakes, centered around Lake Freiheit in the north (the largest lake in Leistung) and a number of other freshwater reserves which flow into the Ambrose Sea. These rivers often cut through areas of extreme elevation, allowing engineers to dam the rivers and create fertile growing land in portions of the riverbeds, in addition to creating livable land (a large number of inland denizens live on the banks of rivers or lakes).

The southern bend of Leistung is much warmer, with a mild maritime climate due to warm currents from the Ambrose Sea which do not hit the rest of the nation. It is also considerably less mountainous, though elevations can still top 1300 meters in areas -- the major difference between it and the inland region as far as geography is that these elevations are not broken by rivers and lakes nearly as often. There are, in fact, no major rivers flowing through the area. Rather than the coniferous forests which dominate much of Leistung, the southern bend has a mix of deciduous and coniferous trees, and is a frequent vacation spot during the autumn months.

Climate

Really cold.

Economy

Main article: Economy of the Leistungi Union

Demographics

Health

Main article: Health in Leistung

Leistung has a system of universal health care mainly financed through national health insurance. The federal government in the form of the Ministry of Health sets premium levels and determines the price of goods and services refunded, refunding patients an average of 75% of health care costs, and 100% of long-term ailment costs. Additional coverage is purchased from private insurers, most of whom are mutual, non-profit organizations.

All legal residents of Leistung are entitled to health insurance, making it one of the most wide-reaching programs of social welfare in the nation — it is also considered to be the most effective. There are also publicly-run hospitals, generally under the control of cantonal governments, which do not charge for service under any circumstances. A considerable amount of debate exists as to whether or not individuals should be forced to pay taxes to cover these hospitals when the national health care system does the same basic job.

Average life expectancy at birth is 84.27 years, one of the highest in the region, and the infant mortality rate is roughly 2.76 per 1000 births. The child mortality rate is about 2 per 1000 births in the first five years of life. Immunization for a large number of diseases is compulsory, with others available at the discretion of one's private insurer.

Leistung is considered a leader in pharmaceuticals and medical technology. The medical school at the University of Zwickau has been credited with innovations regarding stem cell research, cloning, and immunization.

Religion

Chemnitz Cathedral, managed by the Leistungi Catholic Church

Christianity is the largest denomination by far in Leistung and Leistungi Catholicism is the largest sect, with 92% of Leistung claiming adherence. The second largest sect is Cravanian Anglicanism (2%), followed by Praetonian Anglicanism (1%) and Waldenburger Catholicism (<1%), though the latter group is, by law, restricted from practicing their religion in public. Most of the remaining population claims atheistic or agnostic leanings.

Languages

Leistungi German is the official language of Leistung. In the mountainous regions of Nordleistung and Osterwieck, various dialects of German exist which are often difficult to discern for metropolitan speakers.

Foreign relations

Main article: Foreign relations of Leistung

ODECON membership dominates Leistungi foreign policy, although recent efforts to form ties within Haven have also brought the Federal Republic closer to its allies in the Sovereign League and South Eastern Treaty Organization. As a member of the Leistungi Union, and indisputably its most powerful voice, it holds considerably leverage over large swaths of land in Otcina and southeast Haven.

Colonialism has been the central focus of the Leistungi government since the early seventeenth century. A widely-held feeling of manifest destiny coupled with a mass exodus of Creusois and Germanic settlers from Leistung proper in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries culminated in the colonization of much of Otcina. Because of the number of ethnically Leistungi individuals now residing overseas in the member-states of the LU, the current government of Leistung has publicly stated that its first priority is the safety and stability of the Union against threats both internal and external.

Manifest destiny is not a forgotten or dead idea in Leistung; on the contrary, despite the physical loss of its colonies in 1973, colonialism and the spread of what are considered to be "Leistungi" ideals to the uncivilized world have been platforms of every Chancellor since the foundation of the republic. As these feelings are largely shared by the governments of fellow LU states, relations with the LU at large are warm, and are further solidified by shared culture and values.

Internationally, the stance of the Leistungi government is often quite blunt. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has publicly stated that it views authoritarianism states as overt tyrannies, and Leistung frequently will not recognize states which do not allow their populations some degree of participation in government. This has led to frequent quarrels with Stoklomolvi, and in the past, Oseato and Nidia.

Leistung's relations with regional neighbors are warm, with minor disputes over the sovereignty of the Highworth Islands and the lingering disdain over Solarian colonization of Solar North Leistung. Relations with Solaria are of particular note, as the LU shares its largest (albeit interrupted) border with various Solarian colonies, including some parcels of land claimed by Leistung.

Armed forces

Main article: Bundeswehr

Leistung's military is large for a nation of its size, and is extremely well funded on the whole. The Leistungi military (the Bundeswehr) is made up of three branches – the Bundesheer, or Federal Army, the Bundesmarine, or Federal Navy, and the Luftstreitkräfte, or Air Force, though the Bundesmarine also includes the Marineinfanterie, which are comparable to the Royal Marines or US Marine Corps.

Leistungi tanks on Constitution Day

All able-bodied men are obligated to serve in the Bürgerwehr, while the regular Leistungi military is made up entirely of volunteers. The Bürgerwehr has been called up for duty only once, during the Siege of Hafenstadt to repel Waldenburger Marines advancing on the city. No exceptions are made on the basis of religion or personal beliefs, but conscientious objectors may choose to serve in the medical corps as nurses and aides to field medics rather than in the Bürgerwehr itself.

Leistung has a strong naval tradition, and the Bundesmarine is considered the pride of the armed forces, receiving the largest block of funding out of the three branches. The Merchant Marine, or Handelsmarine, is large and well-equipped, representing a viable alternative for individuals who do not wish to serve in the Bürgerwehr for their required time. Though it is not considered a branch of the military, the Handelsmarine is a de facto extension of the Navy, and the sinking of a Handelsmarine ship is an act of war under the Federal Constitution.

Society

Social welfare

A section of the government-maintained Autobahn

Leistung operates a somewhat comprehensive social welfare system. The vast majority of the public sector's efforts are put into the country's health care and education systems, as well as to provide basic necessities. In doing this, the state has created a government-granted monopoly on Leistung's system of public roads, its electrical power industry, water system, and to a certain extent, on select parts of the pharmaceutical industry (namely the orphan drug industry).

In addition to this, citizens are entitled to generous unemployment benefits in they event they are unable to find work. In order to qualify for said benefits, the citizen must demonstrate that he or she is searching for employment, has become disabled, has reached retirement age, or is enrolled in an accredited institution of higher learning.

Human rights

Law enforcement and crime

Main articles: Law enforcement in Leistung and Gun politics in Leistung

The crime rate in Leistung proper is low relative to the other members of the Leistungi Union, but it is unusually high in urban areas and the canton of Creuse. Though most of these crimes are property-related, notably car theft, the homicide rate in Hafenstadt has been steadily increasing since 1994, and surpassed 40 per 100,000 people in 2005.

In response to skyrocketing crime rates, the traditionally dominant municipal police have been bolstered by cantonal police (German: Kantonspolizei) in day-to-day patrol duties since early 2009. As opposed to the municipal police, which have jurisdiction within city limits, cantonal police generally partake in roadway patrols and may be called in as advisers in investigative matters. Federal police do not exist outside of the Bundeskriminalamt, an investigative bureau of the federal government which functions in international cases or at the discretion of a cantonal or municipal police force. Border patrol is handled by the cantonal police as well as the Küstenwache.

Citizen's arrest, though rarely used, exists in the Leistungi legal system. Uniformed members of the Bürgerwehr may make a more formal arrest with the use of force during wartime, though they are still required to turn over suspects to the police for incarceration.

Culture

Main article: Culture of Leistung

The culture of Leistung is defined by its German and French roots, the latter almost entirely evident in the canton of Creuse in the south, and the former taking precedence as the culture many Leistungis see the "official" face of the nation. The German-speaking northern and central parts of Leistung hold strong ties to alpine culture, especially ski culture; the harshness of winter in these regions causes that month to hold a special place in Leistungi culture, and winter sports can be seen continuing into mid-April.

Christmas decorations in Falkenberg

Leistungi Germans tend to live in rural settings, as evidenced by the enormous number of small and mid-sized villages in between the large northern cities — because of this, much importance is placed on local culture, and individual areas may have their own distinct traditions separate from national ones. On a national level, the most important holiday is Constitution Day, which is also Christmas in the Leistungi Catholic Church. So-called "beer culture" is widely known by foreigners, but plays a minor role in day-to-day life; it is true, however, that an average Leistungi citizen consumes on average three times the normal amount of beer per day, and the laws which govern breweries are extremely rigid to maintain quality.

The French part of Leistung, beginning at Burgau and continuing south, is defined by its language and climate. Because of the influence of warmer currents from the Ambrose Sea, winter is not nearly as harsh in the French-speaking parts of Leistung, and mountains tend to be either much lower or completely absent. The cultural capital of southern Leistung is Eisleben, and on the whole, the region is far more urban. Leistungi French also place a larger degree of importance on folk music, and songs such as Gens du Pays form an important part of the Leistungi French identity.

Philosophy

Cuisine