Laeral

Allied Provinces of Laeral 絲綢國 (Sīchóuguó)
Flag Seal
Motto: 通過智慧，平等和榮譽而繁榮
Anthem: The Laeralite's Song
Laeral (in light blue) in the Eastern portion of Hesperida, in the IDU
Capital and largest city	Laeralsford
Official languages	French, Mandarin Chinese
Recognised national languages	English
Ethnic groups (2010)	34% Metice (Mixed-Race) 29% Rén 25% Arrivée 12% Other (Haemin, Desi, etc)
Demonym(s)	Laeralite
Government	Federal Semi-presidential Republic
• President	Liu Mei-han
• Prime Minister	Nicolas Martin
Establishment
• First Allied Provinces of Laeral	1858
• Republic of Laeral	1922
• Second Allied Provinces of Laeral	1954
Area
• Total	490,499 km2 (189,383 sq mi)
Population
• 2023 estimate	89,200,000
• 2021 census	87,446,385
• Density	161.5/km2 (418.3/sq mi)
GDP (nominal)	estimate
• Total	NSD1,850,000,000,000
Gini	34.80 medium
HDI (2016)	0.895 very high
Currency	Laeralian Mark (LRM)
Time zone	GT +2
Date format	mm-dd-yyyy
Driving side	right
Calling code	+118
Internet TLD	.lr

The Allied Provinces of Laeral, commonly called Laeral, is a federal semi-presidential democracy in the continent of Hesperida on Earth in the International Democratic Union. It is bordered by High Fells to the north, by Libertas Omnium Maximus to the south, and by Haesan, Lao Sansong, and the Albarine Sea to the east. Laeral covers 1.71 million square kilometers in area, and is subdivided into 33 provinces, with a total population of nearly 100 million.

Human civilization in Laeral dates back over three millennia to the establishment of the Danxing Empire around 1200 BCE, followed by successive dynastic empires. Minjian originated in Laeral in the 3rd century CE, and through conflict and peaceful conversion became the dominant religion in Laeral. The Tian Dynasty, established in 641 CE, was the first kingdom to unify much of modern-day Laeralian core territory, and was a significant sponsor of exploration and the arts, noted as well for its use of gunpowder and paper to create a powerful and stable society. Relative instability and technological stagnation during the succeeding Jiang Dynasty and the Falling Leaves Period of rule by the Gao Empire ended with the 1528 conquest by Sun Liang, at the head of the Sun Dynasty.

In 1703, the arrival of French settlers led to conflict with the crumbling Sun Dynasty, which was ultimately toppled by the army of the Duke d'Tesse in 1723, who unified modern eastern Laeral and southern High Fells into a single kingdom of Felle-Haute. Ducal rule continued until the Laeralian War of Independence from 1848 to 1855, which established an independent government, the Allied Provinces of Laeral, consisting of a weak confederation of independent provinces. This confederation had become more centralized under the authoritarian rule of Vespasien Jamet (known as the "Vespasienate") from 1880 to 1909, when longstanding racial unrest and the First Fellsian War resulted in authoritarian socialist modernizer René Gramont coming to power in the Laeralian Revolution in 1922. The subsequent Republic of Laeral saw substantial progress towards racial equality, the empowerment of women, and improvement of living standards, as well as the emergence of Gramontism as a prominent ideology internationally. Following a coup attempt in 1952 known as the Bloody Summer, liberalizers in Gramont's Social Democratic Party oversaw a transition to democratic rule as the renewed Allied Provinces of Laeral in 1954.

Initial prosperity and development during the early years of the Allied Provinces coexisted with intense political conflict, culminating in the Emergency Period of martial law in 1964 during the Great War. In that conflict, Laeral was a leading military and industrial power of the Coalition of Democratic Forces, facing invasion from the fascist regimes of Darya and Slokais Islands. In the 1970s and 80s, Laeral underwent economic liberalization as the state-led economy of the Republican Era was gradually dismantled in favor of an export-oriented manufacturing economy, as well as increased racial strife as the Juexing Movement agitated for greater economic and social equality for Laeral's Rén and Metice ethnic majority.

In the 21st century, Laeral has transitioned into a service-based high-income economy, as well as coming to further international prominence as a leader among the democratic bloc and in international development via the Global Development Investment Bank. Its economy is largely service-based, but Laeral is also a major agricultural producer, as well as exporting oil and some manufactured goods. Laeral is also a prominent destination for international tourism and higher education, and a popular exporter of film and television.

Etymology

Laeral is pronounced Lay-ruhl, and likely comes from the Old Laeralian word laer, likely meaning 'silk'. It is combined with the suffix 'al', meaning 'land of' or 'territory of'. An alternate etymology posits that the term comes from "lehwal", or 'river-dweller'. The term is first recorded in the 1500s. The former etymology is used for Laeral's name in Chinese, 絲綢之鄉, meaning 'silk country'.

The standard way to refer to a citizen of Laeral is as a "Laeralite." The term 'Laeralian' is archaic and now rarely used. Two terms often used to refer to people in Laeral are Rén and 'Arrivée'. These are racial terms used in Laeral. The former refers to the native Laeralites. The latter refers to those descended from the French and other white settlers who arrived from the Colonial Period onward. A person of mixed Rén and Arrivée descent is referred to as "Metice".

History

Ancient Laeral (Pre-1000 CE)

Humans likely arrived in modern-day Laeral in the paleolithic period, as evidence has been found of cave dwellings with artifacts dating back to that time.

Laeral was inhabited by scattered nomadic tribes of Rén descent until around the 7th century BCE, when the first permanent agricultural settlements were developed. Cultivated grains have been found dating to that time. Around 1200 BCE, settlers from the Danxing Empire arrived in Laeral, conquering and intermarrying with the local population and founding Laeral's first cities. These coastal cities were the places where writing and toolmaking first developed, and are the birthplaces of Laeralian civilization. It was around the year 400 BCE when Laeral was first unified, under the Nan Dynasty, which in fact only controlled the coastal areas of Laeral. They were succeeded by the Lu dynasty around 100 BCE. They were followed by several other dynasties, including the Liu Dynasty (100 BCE-300 CE), which was known for its artistic ability, the Jin Dynasty (300 CE-500 CE), known for its relative stability and promotion of culture, the Bei Dynasty (500-640 CE), which was unstable and chaotic, and the Tian Dynasty (640-1000 CE).

Minjian, a religion originating in modern-day Peichen around 260 CE, was adopted as the national faith in 370, under the Jin Dynasty. In the early centuries of the religion, religious conflicts were common, notably in the War of the Three Lanterns, a religious conflict between followers of opposing Minjian sects around 575 CE. Notably, the Bei Dynasty fell due to the chaos caused by the Tang Uprising of 635 CE, when the peasant leader Tang Guohui declared himself to be a Minjian Luminary and led an uprising against the Bei Emperor.

Bureaucrats of the Tian Dynasty at the imperial palace of Guangzhihua.

Gunpowder and paper were both discovered around the same time in the 10th century CE, ushering in a new era in both warfare and culture. The stable and prosperous Tian Dynasty ruled the nation. At this time, the city of Guangzihua, considered the birthplace of technology in Laeral, became a center of learning and knowledge, and home of many wonders such as the Great Library of Guangzihua. Arts and culture were sponsored by the ruling Bei dynasty. Around 980, the city of Guangzihua was devastated by a fire and never rebuilt, capping off a long period of Tian decline; the dynasty itself fell soon after in 1003.

Falling Leaves Period and the Sun Dynasty

During the Falling Leaves period beginning around 1003, the chaos of the fall of the Tian Dynasty led to city-states being forced to expand and take over weaker rivals. Many warlords created pocket empires during this time, only to see them fall apart within years. At this time, both gunpowder weapons and bladed weapons proliferated, resulting in a land in chaos as warlords and their followers battled for territory. Warriors wandered the countryside, looking for plunder and a lord to serve under. In the late 13th century, one warlord, the famous Jiang Hui, united Laeral through military might, diplomatic skill, and strategic marriages. The epic saga of his dynasty, the Jiang Dynasty, is told in the classic Laeralian work of literature, The Cycle of Ascendancy. Those kings had many wars with the Gao Empire, in modern-day High Fells, who had become similarly unified around the same time. However, the Jiang Dynasty fell apart sometime around 1430, when Emperor Xiaowen's incompetent leadership and backstabbing advisors led to a disastrous war with the Gao Empire, a militaristic kingdom ruling over modern-day High Fells. Another work of Laeralian classic literature, The Years of Woe, tells of loyal Jiang Dynasty military commander Han Guiying's attempt to resist the Gao invasion and defend Laeralian sovereignty. However, while he was able to repel the invaders successfully, Laeral enjoyed only a decade or so of freedom, as the Gao underwent a period of political turmoil, which eventually resulted in a new Gao dynasty establishing itself and taking over Laeral.

Han Guiying

At one point, all of Laeral was under the control of the Gao, imposing unpopular cultural policies, such as mandating the celebration of Gao festivals and Gao clothing, while the city of Anjian, the Jiang capital, was razed. This period of time, known is Laeral as the 'Time of Sacrifice' still impacts the Laeralian national consciousness today. The leader of the resistance to Gao rule was Sun Liang, a former warlord who assembled a group of secret societies to oppose the Gao occupation.

Sun Liang's forces charge into battle against the Gao.

Laeral ultimately threw off Gao rule in 1528 and enjoyed freedom for several centuries. Sun Liang established himself as an Emperor, and created the imperial capital at Lanxiu, in modern day Neidong. He and his descendants embarked upon a series of reforms, ultimately establishing a powerful central government, a bureaucracy, and allowing many innovations to spread quickly throughout Laeral. The Sun Dynasty cracked down on the power of warlords, and brought stability to Laeral. This time is often thought of as the 'golden age' of Laeral, when Laeral's internal organization, stability, and technological advancement were far ahead of those of its neighbors.

Colonial Era

In 1689, Opthelian ships arrived in the Xianhai Gulf, establishing trading post where they traded muskets, beads, and advanced equipment such as spyglasses for textiles, beads, and pottery. This marked Laeral's first contact with non-Hesperidans. In 1700, the French explorer Gabriel Nicolas de Albarine (second son of the Comte de Albarine, who later settled in Laeral) led an expedition which mapped the coast of Laeral; the Albarine Sea is today named for him.

As a modern nation, Laeral was founded in 1703 as the French personal colony of the Duc d'Tesse, who arrived that year with a small fleet of warships to settle the coastal region near modern-day Corday province. The French colony soon came into conflict with the local population; many died in the ensuing conflict, and many abuses and massacres were committed. This was a time of great change in Laeral, as ruling elements of Laeralian society were violently forced into submission before foreign conquerors. The Duc d'Tesse set himself up as Duc Jean-Baptiste I and ruled the land as the Duchy of Felle-Haute.

A battle between French and Pei Dynasty forces.

After razing the imperial capital, he ordered the creation of the city of Laeralsford to serve as the new capital, as well as establishing four immense palaces around the country, each of which his court would spend one season a year at. These remain major historical sites, although the construction of these palaces was accomplished by forced labor and crippling taxation. He introduced European technology, but also treated the natives poorly, instituting forced agricultural labor, the hated corvée, and high tithes. Following Duke Jean-Baptiste's assassination in 1732, his successors ruled as Dukes until the Laeralian War of Independence. Their reign was characterized by a tiny minority presiding over the subjugation of the Laeralian people and the theft of Laeralian heritage; the establishment of a fairly rigid racial hierarchy meant that Rén had little hope of advancement in society and were treated as second-class citizens.

Laeralian War of Independence

A battle during the Laeralian War of Independence.

The ascension of Duchess Louise, a hard-line conservative, in 1836 prompted tremendous discontent among Rén and the middle-class for her rigid monarchism, traditionalism, and her anti-Enlightenment views. The years of her reign were characterized by harsh repression: the 1841 Vanoît Massacre, the 1843 An Heng Rebellion, and 1844's Blue Cockade Uprising were all brutally suppressed. As Duchesse Louise became gravely ill in 1848, a Provisional Assembly of liberal revolutionaries convened in Althea to plan an uprising, with G.E. Lematre chosen as leader of the new Free Laeralian Army.

The Laeralian War of Independence began with mass uprisings on March 4th, 1849. With the support of the Zhao kingdom, the rebels triumphing after a protracted struggle in 1855, establishing Laeral as an independent nation.

First Allied Provinces of Laeral

Laeral was founded in 1855 as a sovereign nation practically cutting High Fells off from the ocean, leaving High Fells with a grudge against Laeral and a continued period of absolute monarchy. Laeral's capital was established at Althea.

This 1870 print of a wealthy urban woman visiting rural Arrivée peasants demonstrates the class divides present during the early years of the Allied Provinces.

Laeral's first major test came during the Outbreak of 1861, as cholera spread throughout Laeral. Although thousands died, the new nation largely avoided chaos through the government's skillful handling of the crisis. Georges Lematre also implemented nationwide paper currency in 1865. Prior to this, individual provinces issued their own currency. In 1866, Georges Lematre's term came to an end and he peacefully stepped down in favor of Jean-Paul Gauvain, the third Prime Minister. Famine in 1872, which led to many farmers moving to Laeralian cities in search of jobs and food. Although the government tried to reduce the problem, starvation was a constant problem in Laeral for decades. In 1881, the Bank of Laeral was established in order to unify the production of paper money, which had been established on a nationwide basis in 1865. The new government's efforts were often hamstrung by the weak nature of the federal government, however, and efforts to repeal the racist policies of the royalist era, such as the corvée, were largely unsuccessful.

In 1875, Laeralian settlers who had migrated southward from the province of Bethune came into conflict with settlers from Libertas Omnium Maximus. After Bethune provincial militia fired upon the Maximusian settlers, the War of the Seven Provinces broke out. As Laeral possessed only a limited national military at the time, and many of Laeral's wealthier northern provinces opposed the war, only the forces of seven provinces ended up declaring war on the Maximusians. Laeralian forces were defeated, and the areas comprising modern Lematre and Brissac provinces were ceded to Libertas Omnium Maximus in the 1877 Treaty of Legrange.

A major portion of the New Laeral Movement involved developing Laeral's military strength.

From 1880 to 1909, the Laeralian government was dominated by strongman Vespasien Jamet, who served as prime minister nearly continuously for almost three decades. During this period, referred to as the Vespasienate, Prime Minister Jamet oversaw the centralization of the Laeralian state as well as westward expansion at the expense of the various Rén kingdoms to the Laeralian nation's western borders. Notable achievements of Prime Minister Jamet included the expansion of central government taxation, the creation of a larger standing army, the relocation of the capital from Althea to Laeralsford in 1894, and the defeat of the Zhao kingdom in 1885 during the Laeral-Zhao War and the annexation of its territory, the largest single land acquisition in Laeralian history. The Vespasienate was also characterized by immense corruption at the hands of Jamet and government insiders, largely from the plantation-owner class: for instance, the audacious New Laeral Movement, a ten-year program intended to modernize Laeral's industries, was generally a failure due to endemic corruption. The press and public protests faced heavy-handed censorship during the Vespasienate, prompting Jamet's opponents to brand him "Emperor Vespasien I." Following the acquisition of Zhao land, Jamet oversaw the Land Tenure Act of 1888, which paved the way for the expropriation of land in five Riverlands provinces from its Rén inhabitants, who were subsequently confined to small territorial reserves, while the most productive agricultural land was distributed to Arrivée settlers via lottery. This land seizure paved the way for continuation of the racial wealth gap in Laeral, as well as the First Great Migration, which saw Rén people from overcrowded and impoverished reserve territories relocate to Riverlands cities, fostering cultural diffusion.

In 1903, Laeral also participated in the Golden Flag Rebellion, sending a large force of soldiers under General Albert de Saivigné to defend Laeralian commercial interests in northern Caxcana. This marked Laeral's first major foreign conflict, and was met with protests by Rén who sympathized with the Golden Flag cause. The conflict became a primary source of political division in Laeralian society; many intellectuals and the majority of Rén opposed the government's decision to intervene, and the ensuing occupation.

In 1911, High Fells declared war on Laeral over territorial disputes as Vespasien Jamet's successor Augustin Brienne struggled to consolidate the nation. While High Fellsian forces had been hoping for a quick victory, advancements in weapons technology meant that battle lines stagnated into trench warfare. Heavy fighting took place in the mountains of southern High Fells; inadequate winter supplies meant that many soldiers on both sides froze to death. This war, known in Laeral as the First Fellsian War or la catastrophe, ended after five years in bloody stalemate, with nearly one million dying on the Laeralian side. Notably, airplanes, artillery, machine guns, and poison gas all saw use in the conflict. This war contributed to the unpopularity of the Laeralian government at the time, notably due to the army's use of forced conscription.

Republican Era

Following the chaos of the First Fellsian War, many were dissatisfied with the current structure of government. Many of the reforms expressed in the Progressive Movement had not been met. Women were still denied the right to vote, the central government was weak, and labor conditions were appalling. Many lived in abject poverty. Ultimately, unionists, left-wing activists, and dissatisfied veterans staged a revolt, known as the Laeralian Revolution. It began in 1919, and led to the rise of several progressive leaders, including Réne Gramont, Jean-Philippe Salaun, and Sun Jia-wei, known as the Committee for Democracy and Progress, and later the Social Democratic party. Their revolution was supported by a majority of the populace, and ultimately succeeded following several years of fighting.

Jean-Philippe Salaun and supporters of the Committee for Democracy and Progress at the drafting of the Republic's Constitution.

Leaders of the revolt assembled in Gaolan, Neidong, to write a new Constitution. While Laeral had been governed as a relatively loose confederation under the Binding Charter, they were determined to reshape Laeralian government. Their work, the Laeralian Constitution, established the new Republic of Laeral. This Republic would have a stronger central government. Suffrage was expanded to all men and women over 22. The National Assembly, or the national legislature, would use both proportional representation and regional constituencies, rather than the previous first past the post system. The leader of the Assembly of Commons would become the Prime Minister, while there would also be a directly elected President. In 1922, Réne Gramont declared the establishment of the Republic of Laeral.

Réne Gramont, leader of the Gang of Five and first President of the Republic of Laeral

During the Republican Era, Laeral was dominated by the so-called Gang of Five, a group of Social Democratic leaders who promoted republicanism, reformism, socialism, secularism, and anti-imperialism through their modernization programs. While somewhat free and fair elections were held, the Social Democrats kept their hold on power through vote-buying and other dubious practices. The Gang of Five's wide-ranging battery of reforms, known as the Rose Revolution for the symbol of the ruling Social Democrats, had significant impacts across all areas of Laeralian society. The period also saw the first large-scale immigration to Laeral following the country's independence; this "Second Wave" of immigration consisted primarily of immigrants from the Dual Monarchy of Vertansk and Solavan, with Solavanian expatriate communities arising in many port cities and Vertanskan immigrants migrating to state-backed agricultural settlements, particularly in the Northeastern Frontier.

In 1925, a popular revolt by people of Laeralian descent in the Brissac region, controlled by Libertas Omnium Maximus since the War of the Seven Provinces from 1875-1877, led to Laeral declaring war on Libertas Omnium Maximus. Due to superior Laeralian leadership under President Réne Gramont and widespread public support for the conflict, the Laeralites triumphed, with the 1927 Treaty of Galline granting modern Lematre and Brissac provinces to Laeral. The unity created within Laeral by the war, and the Laeralian victory, contributed greatly to the stability of the Republic of Laeral and the popularity of Gramont.

Laeralian Army soldiers in Lienne during the province's Accession.

Following the Brissac War, the Social Democrats were free to concentrate fully on the Rose Revolution, their ambitious program to reform Laeral along the lines of their 'Five Pillars': Republicanism, Reformism, Socialism, Secularism, and Anti-Imperialism. Réne Gramont, a hero of the First Fellsian War who served as President from 1922-1932, established a republic with universal suffrage regardless of gender, race, or class, while simultaneously ensuring that his own Social Democratic party would be the dominant force in Laeralian politics. During his ten years in office, Gramont promoted racial and gender equality, removing many of the most hated racial laws of the Allied Provinces era. Gramont also worked towards development and industrialization, promoting western-style higher education and industrialization of the nation. Gramont was succeeded in office by Jean-Philippe Salaun, who served two terms from 1932-1942, and added further secularist reforms to the Rose Revolution's reforms. Presidents Zhou Wei-lin (1942-1947) and Sun Jia-wei (1947-1954) continued the Rose Revolution's programs, in particular continuing to promote racial equality and socialist principles.

In 1947, the marquisate of Lienne, a state which had broken away from Park Yeong-gi's dictatorial regime in High Fells and become independent, petitioned for annexation by the Republic of Laeral in a bid for security from the Fellsian regime. In the Accession of Lienne, also known as the Second Fellsian War, Laeralian forces clashed with Fellsian-backed Gao militias in the province over nine months of outright warfare and around a decade of ensuing guerrilla warfare. Although the Park regime continued to claim Lienne until its overthrow, Lienne was functionally under Laeralian control, and became a full province in 1954.

Second Allied Provinces of Laeral

General Alain Mette led coup-aligned forces during the Bloody Summer in 1952

During the later years of the Republican Era, the Rose Revolution project faced division between reform-minded, pro-democracy members of the Social Democratic elite, such as Zhou Wei-lin, and the "vermilion" faction led by Hong Kuo-shu which favored continued autocratic rule. In May 1952, reformist president Sun Jia-wei's re-nomination as the Social Democratic candidate for president at the Seventh Social Democratic Party Congress empowered the reformist faction to seek the removal of Hong Kuo-shu as Party Secretary, leading to violence when Hong's supporters in the Laeralian military, led by General Alain Mette, attempted a coup against President Sun. The coup was defeated in August of that year with the capture and widely-publicized treason trial of Party Secretary Hong; Mette himself was killed in a plane crash while seeking to flee the country.

Following the coup attempt, remembered as the Bloody Summer, the reformist "scarlet" faction was empowered to achieve a transition to full democracy, reforming the Laeralian Army into the Laeralian National Security Force and inviting both Social Democrats and opposition members to draft a new constitution in 1954, which established Laeralian government as it is today—the Second Allied Provinces of Laeral, so named as to distinguish it from the first. François Guiraud, a member of the opposition Laeralian National Congress party, was elected as the Second Allied Provinces' first President in 1954's free elections, while Sun Jia-wei soon became Prime Minister, remaining at the head of the Social Democratic party.

Political competition was intense during the early years of the Second Allied Provinces, conducted amongst a backdrop of economic and political liberalization. The "Decade of High Spirits" of the 1950s, including the "Riverlands Renaissance" and a boom in the Laeralian film industry, was fondly remembered also for its economic growth, including the Green Revolution spurring growth in agriculture and a boom in consumer industry. The "Decade of High Spirits" was brought to a swift close with the Great War, which Laeral joined in 1961 as a leader of the Allied Coalition. Amidst mass mobilization, aerial bombing raids, and bloody amphibious and naval battles off the shores of Hesperida and Caxcana, the nation had its closest brush with dictatorship when President René Gramont declared a state of national emergency in 1964 following a Daryan attempt on the life of Defense Minister Julien Cheng and leading military officers. Gramont would rule by decree for months, suspending the National Assembly and detaining political opponents without trial, yet was ultimately brought low by a fatal heart attack later that year. Following the resumption of constitutional order, Laeral would continue to prosecute the Great War to its victorious conclusion.

In the early 1980s, a growing social and artistic movement known as the Juexing (Awakening) Movement, rejected the notion that Laeral's racial issues had been resolved during the Republican period, and agitated for further measures towards racial equality. Supporting the pride and self-betterment of Laeralian Rén, the Juexing Movement eventually succeeded in creating government measures to promote racial equality, notably the system of government quotas for racial minorities. Immigration to Laeral also increased throughout the 1970s and 80s, including large-scale immigration from Andhrapur, creating Desi communities within many urban areas.

Laeralian soldiers patrolling the border with High Fells during the Third Fellsian War.

In 1983, an undeclared "Third Fellsian War" between Laeral and High Fells began, in which both sides launched raids and bombings across their border, particular in Laeral's disputed Lienne province. Terrorist bombings in Lienne became a fixture on the Laeralian nightly news, but the conflict was brought to a close after High Fellsian dictator Alger Hansen was overthrown in the June Revolution.

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Laeral's economy entered a protracted period of growth under a series of right-wing governments which had come to power capitalizing on sluggish growth and a backlash towards the Juexing Movement. A new export-based economic model, centered on exports of electronic equipment and textiles, produced economic prosperity which was well-distributed among the population. The government repaid its debts in full due to massive GDP growth, which reached at its height 12% annually. Economic growth continued until the late 1990s, while the government chose to invest the increased tax revenues into a new national education system, as well as a large fund for future shortfalls.

However, the end of the economic boom in the late 1990s led to agitation and societal discontent, particularly as manufacturing entered a decline and inflation combined with stagnant economic growth and rising unemployment. The ensuing People Power protests of 1994-1995 led to constitutional reforms, including a reduction in the powers of the General Assembly. A left-leaning government took power in the early 2000s, enacting social reforms including legalizing same-sex civil unions in 2005. Around this time, a civil war erupted along religious lines in neighboring High Fells, leading the Laeralian government to deploy soldiers, known as the Laeralian Peacekeeping Force (LPKF), to prop up the central government in 2001 and prevent the spillover of fighting and drug trafficking into Laeral. Following the signing of the Jindong Agreement in 2004, Laeralian troops began to withdraw in a slow process lasting until 2008, when the final Laeralian troops departed.

The nation was shaken by the impeachment of President Maurice Fesnau in 2006 following the investigation of a far-reaching corruption scandal, which resulted in the trial and imprisonment of several Socialist Party politicians. President Ganard, of the Laeralian People's Party, took power after a 2006 special election, only to preside over an economic recession in 2007, which damaged the national economy and brought the Progressives, under President Nicholas Brennan into power. Laeral acceded to the World Assembly in 2016 following extensive legal reforms meant to bring the nation into line with WA standards. Laeral's growing involvement in foreign conflicts grew, as Brennan authorized the deployment of troops to aid pro-democracy forces in the Second Lauchenoirian Civil War, while his successor Liu Mei-han brokered the Jinyu Peace Agreement in 2021 to negotiate an end to the Xiomeran Civil War.

Geography

A map of the 33 provinces of Laeral.

Laeral is divided into 33 provinces and two Special Administrative Regions, which are self-governing and share authority with the federal government.

The primary river in Laeral is the Zhongshui, which runs west to east through central Laeral and cities such as Hanshui, Laeralsford, and Auvergne. It forms the core of the Riverlands region. Tributaries of the Zhongshui include the Beuvron River, flowing northward through Jinyu, and the Gaoming River, flowing southward through Songshan and Lushui to merge with the Zhongshui River near Hanshui. The Guilin River, meanwhile, sets continental Laeral's southwestern border. The Vierge River (flowing into the Beuvron) and the Espoir River (flowing inland from the Albarine Sea) are other tributaries which have also aided river commerce for centuries. River flooding is historically an impactful aspect of Laeral's plentiful rivers, which have largely been managed with the advent of dams.

Geographic Regions

Laeral possesses various historical and cultural regions. Most prominent of these is the Riverlands region, stretching east to west across Laeral and generally considered to contain the provinces surrounding the Zhongshui River. This area is historically fertile and heavily populated, and since the early 20th century has been the most developed region of Laeral. The Iron Belt contains the manufacturing regions of northeast Laeral, and is generally considered to include Lienne, a province with a distinctive cultural identity based on its period under High Fellsian rule. The territory of the former Zhao Kingdom in southwestern Laeral is the nation's Minjian heartland and is today known as Zhao country. The area of the Beuvron River valley, particularly the provinces of Sendrasi, Therese, and Sarene, is also known as the Catholic Belt for its high proportion of adherents to that faith. Finally, the Xianhai Peninsula is another region distinctive from continental Laeral, characterized by its relative underdevelopment and economy based on plantation agriculture and later oil extraction. Lematre and Brissac provinces feature oil deposits both on land and offshore, part of a larger field shared with the neighboring Maximusian province of Winfield. These oil deposits, along with smaller fields in Felliere and the Xianhai Gulf, have been extracted by various state and private corporations since the Republican Era.

The Xueyan Special Administrative Region (Xueyan SAR) is a large, sparsely-populated and underdeveloped region, separated from the main portion of Laeral by Lake Xueyan, an immense body of water. Following its seizure during the Great War, Laeral currently claims sovereignty over the Xueyan SAR, although this claim remains contested by Haesan and has not been fully recognized by the international community. The region is believed to have extensive natural gas reserves. Laeral also administers the Xianjiapo Special Administrative Region, an urban region in northern Caxcana.

The Golden Larch tree turns golden in autumn.

Laeral's climate features cold winters and temperate summers. Northern provinces generally have a cool-temperate climate, while southern provinces are warmer. Coniferous and mixed forests exist in much of continental Laeral, while there are broad-leafed forests in southern Laeral. The Golden Larch, Maidenhair (Gingko), Umbrella Pine, and Chinese Plum are all major tree species in Laeral, with the plum blossom (meihua) of the latter being an important Laeralian national symbol. Bamboo also grows in southern portions of Laeral, where it is used as an important manufacturing and construction material.

Laeral's rivers support a thriving fishing industry, as well as habitat for spawning carp and salmon. Laeral's climate is very agriculturally productive: primary agricultural products include rice, barley, and wheat as staple grains. Silk is also grown by way of mulberry trees.

Environment

Large wild animals in Laeral include the brown bear, lynx, 'snow cat' (snow leopard), Chinese mountain cat, and grey wolf, although these are widely hunted and now have a severely curtailed frequency and range. Other wild mammals include the Summer Dog (raccoon dog), the Iduvian red and water deer, the marsh deer (Pere David's Deer), and the marmot. Birds common in Laeral include various cranes, the snowcock, the heron, various swans, and various pigeons.

Laeralian meat raised for cultivation generally lacks large pasture animals such as cows. Farmers instead focus on keeping geese, rabbits, ducks, chickens, grouse, pheasant, and pigs, as well as sheep and goats in mountainous areas. Carp are farmed in the Riverlands, and water buffalo and oxen are kept as plow animals. Notable foods grown in Laeral include rice, grains, tea, and many types of fruits and vegetables, including lychees, almonds, citrus fruits, and other products. Flowers are also grown.

Rice is an important staple crop in Laeral.

Notable environmental attractions can be found in some of the more rural provinces, as well as in some coastal provinces such as Althea. Environmental legislation protects environmentally sensitive areas such as wetlands and old growth forests, and tourism and development are severely restricted into some areas. Soil pollution remains an issue in many areas of Laeral's old industrial belt, although government action against pollutants means that rates of particulate matter in the air due to air pollution have decreased from their high in the late 1970s.

Demographics

A street in the western Riverlands.

Laeral has a population of over 89 million people. The fertility rate is 2.34, with a high life expectancy. Ethnic groups present in Laeral include the Arrivée, the Rén, the Gao, and various minority groups. Laeral's ethnic makeup has also been shifted by immigration of minority groups such as Desi, who make up a growing percentage of the population. A large percentage of Laeral's population is mixed-race, largely the result of marriages between Arrivée and Rén people.

The overall obesity rate is around 15%, although around 30% of Laeralites overall are overweight. Laeral's population is increasingly aging, as the average life expectancy has increased. This has begun to place a burden upon senior care services, although the majority of elderly Laeralites are cared for by their family rather than by retirement facilities.

Education

Laeralian culture is known for adhering to the Moralist paradigm of valuing education as a means to improve one's socioeconomic position in society. Heavy investment and a cultural valuing of education has consistently brought the nation to the top of global education rankings; Laeral is one of the top-performing countries in standardized tests of reading literacy, mathematics and sciences.

Althea City University, a member of the National Open University system.

The Laeralian education system has been praised for various reasons, including its comparatively high test scores and its major role in promoting Laeral's economic development while creating one of the IDU’s most highly educated workforces, with 67.1% of Laeralites going on to attend university. K-12 education is generally administered by the provincial governments, although the federal Ministry of Education has general authority over curricula and may apply regulations to oversee school practices. Higher education, which lies within the purview of the national government, is divided between public universities and the prestigious and selective National Open Universities (NOUs). The NOUs have been criticized for alleged elitism; they have produced a majority of Laeral's high-ranking civil servants, CEOs, and politicians.

Language

Mandarin was historically the primary language of Laeral. Following the period of French colonization, the use of French acquired greater social status and was taught in schools. Under the Rose Revolution, Mandarin and French achieved equal prominence in the education system. The majority of Laeralites are multilingual, and diplomats and civil servants often learn another language. English is widely taught in schools. Linguistic diversity is a major political focus in Laeral, with all government documents required to be in Chinese, French, and English. The Académie Linguistique is a government agency responsible for regulating the practice and expression of language in Laeral; notably, Laeral switched from the older Wade-Giles system of romanization to the modern pinyin system in the 1980s.

Religion

The Minjian High Conclave in Miaoshi.

Laeral is a religiously-diverse nation. Although Minjian is the majority religion, a substantial Christian (almost entirely Catholic) majority exists as well. Minjian is a dualistic religion of Laeralian origin; the Minjian High Conclave, the central organ of the faith, is located in the Laeralian city of Miaoshi, which is a pilgrimage site for devout Minjian from around the world. Roughly one-fifth of Laeralites identify as non-religious, while secularism is a governing principle of Laeral under the Laeralian constitution.

Religion in Laeral (2022)

Religion	Proportion
Minjian	50.7%
Christian	21.3%
Non-Religious	18.6%
Other	6.4%

Laeralian customs and superstitions, largely originating from Laeral's Rén population, are also broadly adopted by Laeralites of all ethnic backgrounds, particularly around the Lunar New Year.

Government

Liu Mei-han has been the President of Laeral since 2018.

Laeral has a federal system of government. Each province is headed by a Governor or First Minister, as well as a provincial legislature, to conduct self-governance. The head of state of Laeral is the President of Laeral, who is currently Liu Mei-han. The President is elected by popular vote, with a runoff if no candidate attains a majority of the vote, and serves for four-year terms, renewable once. The President serves as Laeral's head of state and does not have a legislative veto, although the president can sign a bill into law bypassing the General Assembly if the bill has passed the Assembly of Commons by a supermajority. The President also names a Prime Minister and assist in government formation, and may dissolve the Assembly of Commons for snap elections.

The Prime Minister is required to be officially appointed by the President, yet must command the confidence of the Assembly of Commons. The current Prime Minister is Nicolas Martin.

The Assembly of Commons

Laeral has a bicameral legislature known as the National Assembly, consisting of the Assembly of Commons and the General Assembly. The Assembly of Commons and General Assembly must vote with a majority in order to pass a bill on to the other Assembly. The bill needs a simple majority to pass, with the president breaking ties. Additionally, a bill passed by a 2/3 majority of the Assembly of Commons does not need to pass the General Assembly if the President chooses to sign the bill. The Commons, currently consisting of 386 Representatives, is elected nationwide by party-list proportional representation, with elections being called at maximum four years apart . Two Delegates from each province are elected to the General Assembly according to a staggered six-year schedule, using single-transferable vote.

Laeral has historically had a multi-party system, with a left-wing "red bloc" consisting of the Progressives and Socialist Party competing for power with a "blue bloc" comprised of the Laeralian People's Party and Conservatives, although the rise of the New Democrats and their "yellow bloc" and the right-wing, Rén-nationalist Laeral Unbowed! party have altered this paradigm. Many smaller parties also contest elections, and often win representation in the Assembly of Commons. Governments are almost always formed via coalition.

Laeral's judicial branch consists of a large network of local courts, a Provincial Court for each province, and a National High Court which tries criminal and civil cases appealed from lower courts, following a majority vote of its 7 Magistrates, including a Chief Magistrate. The Laeralian Constitutional Court is the highest court in Laeral, responsible for ensuring that the constitution is upheld, and capable of nullifying laws and impeaching politicians. Its twelve justices serve for 12-year terms.

Laeral is a consolidated democracy and is ranked as a "full democracy" by the Howard Prince-Gonzalez Institution, and among the most democratic nations in Hesperida. Freedom of the press, freedom of speech, and freedom of assembly are generally respected, while elections are considered free and fair. The judiciary is generally considered free and fair. Human rights observers have criticized that the death penalty remains legal in Laeral in cases of treason, rebellion, and sedition.

Foreign Relations and Military

Laeral is an active member of the World Assembly and the League of IDU Nations, and has among the most embassies and consulates of any IDU nation. Laeralian foreign policy, historically influenced by Gramontism and Laeralian nationalism, has traditionally focused on opposing imperialism and supporting ideologically-aligned partners abroad. This is exemplified through the Forward Operations Doctrine, a series of operations undertaken prior to the Great War, as well as through the role of the quasi-state International Republican Institute during the latter half of the 20th century. Laeralian foreign policy also traditionally focused on regional neighbors, as the nation has traditionally aspired to hegemony in southeastern Hesperida—leading to confrontations with regional rivals High Fells (during the early 20th century) and Haesan (during the late 20th century), often benefiting from the support of traditional regional allies Libertas Omnium Maximus and Slokais Islands during the latter half of the 20th century. Following the Great War, Laeralian foreign policy has increasingly taken in events further afield, particularly in a newfound alignment itself in defense of the rules-based liberal democratic world order.

Laeral's military is the Laeralian Defense Forces. It consists of four branches: the Laeralian National Security Force (ground forces), the Laeralian Navy, the Laeralian Air Force, and the Gendarmerie. Laeral's nuclear weapons program is managed directly by the president's National Security Council, with warheads dispersed across the Navy and Air Force, which operate the ballistic missile submarines and heavy bombers responsible for nuclear strike delivery.

During the early decades of the Laeralian state, the military was funded on a provincial level, leading to internal instability and poor military outcomes—demonstrated most acutely during the War of the Seven Provinces in 1875-77. Reforms during the waning days of the First Allied Provinces were insufficient to produce victory against a less populous foe during the First Fellsian War, and military strengthening was a priority during the Republican Era, which saw Laeral avoid large-scale conflicts apart from the Brissac War, as well as brief conventional clashes with Fellsian forces during the Accession of Lienne. The 1954 Laeralian Constitution, drafted in the wake of a failed military coup, saw the Laeralian military firmly subordinated to the civilian government and reconstituted as the Laeralian Defense Forces. Despite the reorganization of the military, which proved to be largely cosmetic, the Laeralian Defense Forces proved capable of performing well in high-intensity, kinetic combat during the Great War, which saw Laeralian forces take part in operations alongside Coalition allies in Haesan, Slokais Islands, and Darya, alongside the Albarine Sea. Since the Great War, Laeralian military operations have largely been of a counter-insurgency nature in Lienne, High Fells, and Xueyan.

The Laeralian National Security Force, restructured from the Laeralian Army following the Bloody Summer coup attempt of 1952, totals around 180,000 combat personnel. During the Second Lauchenoirian Civil War, LNSF forces saw direct combat in an extended operation in Lauchenoiria, bolstering confidence in the LNSF's continued capacity to conduct rapid-response conventional warfare operations abroad. The elite Republican Guard units are also grouped with the LNSF, which also includes special forces, cavalry, parachute, and marine units. Unlike the Navy and Air Force, which typically produce indigenous aircraft, ships, and submarines, the battle tanks and armored vehicles are largely manufactured based on foreign designs.

President Liu Mei-han has promoted a naval buildup during her administration.

The Laeralian Navy is Laeral's largest military branch be expenditure, given Laeral's large coastline and the country's role in the protection of free commerce and freedom of navigation since the turn of the century. During the Great War, the navy saw more combat than any other branch. Laeral spearheaded the development of nuclear submarines in the late 1960s, and Laeralian attack and ballistic missile submarines have traditionally made up a substantial portion of the navy and number among the world's most effective submarine arms. Since the Great War, Laeral has operated at least one fixed-wing aircraft carrier near-continuously for force projection. The Navy also formerly operated the Littoral Assault Regiment of marines, which has been defunct since 1970.

The Laeralian Air Force includes roughly 600 operational aircraft and is responsible for supporting the operations of other branches of the military and protecting Laeralian airspace. In addition to carrier-based units, the air force also operates from airbases in Xueyan, continental and peninsular Laeral, and various bases abroad.

The Gendarmes, or military police, are responsible for protecting Laeralian government buildings and embassies abroad, supplementing ordinary Laeralian police forces, and conducting operations against domestic terror threats and criminal organizations.

Economy

Laeral's economy is dynamic and export-based, constructed within the framework of a modern social-democratic capitalist economy. The Laeralian economy is dominated by the services sector, as well as traditional production such as agriculture, textiles, and heavy industry. Laeral is a world leader in film and television production, automobiles, and textiles.

Despite a high level of industrialization, future economic growth is threatened by rising structural unemployment and an aging population. Laeral's export-based economy has traditionally led to an emphasis on free-trade agreements with foreign nations, following economic liberalization under President Michel Baudry during the 1980s. Organized labor has historically been quite influential in the Laeralian economy since the Republican Era, as have worker cooperatives, and rates of unionization in Laeral, at roughly 45%, are quite high compared peer economies. This can be seen in the phenomenon of "workplace democracy", in which under national law, all businesses of over 60 employees are required to include elected worker representation on the company board equal to 30% of seats, with few exceptions. The FLT-OIU is Laeral's dominant labor union federation, with roughly three-fourths of Laeral's unionized workers affiliated with an FLT-OIU union. The remaining quarter largely belongs to the communist-aligned Assemblée Syndicale de Toute la Laeral.

Culture

Laeral is a generally secular, socially-liberal nation with a growing population. The education system is considered among the foremost in the IDU, featuring an extensive network of public universities, capped by the prestigious National Open University system.

Self-Portrait With Students by Élisabeth Vérène le Bonnaire.

Laeral's film industry plays a significant role in the nation's culture and economy, with Jinhua province being a center of the industry. The 'Five Giants' are a quintet of film studios dominating the Laeralian film scene; Marion-Guichard Productions is known for favoring artsy fare, while Silver Harvest favors big-budget action movie reboots, spin-offs, and sequels. Laeralian television dramas, meanwhile, have become an important cultural export, and are aired in numerous markets abroad. Laeralian pop music, encompassing works from vintage crooners to modern stars such as Jane Tao, has also exhibited similar foreign appeal.

Laeralian literature, meanwhile, dates back to at least the year 1200, which is roughly the date of the oldest written work ever found in Laeral, a manual of farming practices. Famous Laeralian novels include The Cycle of Ascendancy, a Laeralian patriotic tale; Drawn Curtains in the Silver Chamber, the story of a noble family in decline; Letters of a Lady's Hand, an intrigue/romance taking place around 1790; and The Chens of Hanshui, a novel dealing with themes of race in the modern era. In fine art, the work of Élisabeth Vérène le Bonnaire is highly prized among artists of the colonial era, while Laeral has also historically been home to numerous influential artists, musicians, and playwrights. Modernist architect Maurice Ho and composed Germain Deschamps are among the most highly-esteemed Laeralian artists internationally.

During the Colonial period, the noted Laeralian astronomer Alexandre-Galliot de Crussol produced one of the first catalogs of astronomical phenomena. During the First Allied Provinces period, scientific development lagged; during the Rose Revolution of the Republican period, the government aggressively sought to improve Laeralian scientific education. In the modern day, Laeral has become a regional center for scientific innovation, notably in the fields of medicine, psychology, and materials science.

Laeral is also a world leader in nuclear energy, producing reactors and material for export, and maintains a nuclear weapons program. One area of improvement for Laeralian scientific development is in the aerospace field; while Laeral was a player in the global Space Race of the 1960s and 70s, the Laeralian space agency ALORS (Agence Laeralien de Opérations et Recherche Spatiale) has had a contrained budget since. Laeralian expertise in programming and computing is widely-sought internationally, but Laeralian software engineers have had difficulties with expanding websites and apps to customers outside Laeral, partially due to linguistic barriers.

Interracial weddings have become increasingly accepted in Laeralian society.

Race remains a significant dividing line in Laeralian society, with the historical weight of imperialism and subsequent systemic racism weighing upon the nation. With linguistic, religious, and cultural differences between Rén and Arrivée Laeralites, racial tensions remain to this day. From the mid-20th century onward, immigration by ethnic Haemin and Andhrapuri migrants, alongside numerous other smaller groups, has led to greater cultural diversity while also at times leading to racist backlash. Interracial marriages have been fairly common throughout Laeralian history, leading to a large mixed-race population known as Metice. For decades, government action has worked to reduce racial disparities; with the result of reducing disparities in average household income, although residential segregation stubbornly remains. The civil service and higher education systems are mandated to match the nation's demographics as a whole due to decades-old affirmative action programs. The work of Rén and other disadvantaged racial groups' social activists over the course of decades, most notably Hua Mingrui during the 1970s and 80s, has been crucial to this government action.

Laeral is highly ranked on measures of female workforce participation and in other measures of societal equity, and Laeralian feminist thinkers and activists have historically played a major role in the global feminist movement.

Laeralian gymnast Rose Yaling won a gold medal at the 13th Olympic Games.

Handball, a traditional Laeralian sport, is the most popular team sport in Laeral, with stadiums and fields found in nearly every town or city.

Football is also popular; Laeral notably hosted the 2018 IDU Football Championship. Organized play is dominated by Ligue 1, which consists of the 20 best teams in Laeral. Play in that league is dominated by two dueling teams, Laeralsford AC and Ville Laeralsford, as well as teams such as Hanshui and Althea FC. There is also the Ligue Provincial, which is below Ligue 1 and consists of the teams relegated from that league, which make up the 24 second-tier football teams in Laeral. A third popular sports include basketball, which is played professionally through the Laeralian Basketball Association. Laeral has experienced success at recent Olympics, notably in speed-skating, fencing, gymnastics, figure skating, and basketball.

Infrastructure

Laeral generally has highly developed infrastructure, although some rural areas do not have the same level of high-tech infrastructure as in urban areas. For example, 97% of Laeralites have internet access, practically every Laeralite has a phone connection, and the vast majority of Laeralian households have a television. The state-run radio and television broadcaster is RTL (Radio et Télévision Laéralien).

The primary method of transportation is through Laeralian Railways, Laeral's state-run high-speed rail system. Laeral has over 29,000 kilometers of track in total, although not all of this is high-speed. International airports exist in numerous large cities. Laeral also has eight deepwater seaports, which manage much of Laeral's import-export trade.

A Laeralian Railways high-speed train in Rilos.

Laeral generates roughly 278 million KwH (Kilowatt-hours) of electricity per year, mostly for domestic consumption, although a small fraction of this is exported. Nuclear power generates close to 30% of Laeral's electricity, although the system is gradually being phased out as part of a transition to renewables. Fossil fuels continue to make up around 40% of Laeral's electricity mix; natural gas is extracted in the Xueyan Special Administrative Region while substantial oil deposits exist in the peninsular provinces and the Xianhai Gulf.