The State of Elthize
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Elthize ([ɛlθiːz], EL-theez, or [ɛlfiːz], EL-fees), officially The State of Elthize, is a country in Southern Europe. It borders the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Yosai to the north, and Leagio to the east and south. With a population of approximately 4.8 million, Elthize is one of the least populous members of the European Union. The capital is Forecoaster, while St. Lucas, located in the south, is the largest city, with a metropolitan population of 1.2 million. St. Lucas serves as the center of Elthize’s economy, entertainment, and contemporary culture. Montgomery, the second-largest city with 520,000 residents, is considered the birthplace of modern Elthize and was its capital until 1972. Around half of the population lives south of Forecoaster, and 70% resides within 25 kilometers of the coast. English is the common and administrative language, though not officially recognized as such.
Modern Elthize was founded in 1828 by trading companies and philosophers seeking to create a liberal utopia. The Montgomery Territory, established after an agreement with the indigenous Kingdom of Elfiz, is seen as the precursor to the nation. Although relations between the territory and the kingdom began friendly, tensions grew due to economic instability in the kingdom and rising xenophobia in the territory. These tensions culminated in 1870 when the king declared war, ultimately losing in 1874, leading to the kingdom’s annexation.
This annexation paved the way for the formation of the Commonwealth of Elthize. The commonwealth frequently displaced indigenous communities from the coast, and slavery was widespread. After neighboring Leagio gained independence in 1896, many colonial politicians and British elites from Leagio fled to Elthize. In 1905, Elthize was annexed by Britain and granted dominion status. By the late 1920s, the Elthic independence movement gained momentum, supported by an independent Leagio and led by revolutionary William Lee Marchand. Elthize gained independence from the United Kingdom in May 1937, with Marchand becoming its first president. However, this First Republic was short-lived, as Yosai annexed Elthize in 1954 shortly after Marchand’s resignation. Elthize regained independence in 1968, following widespread riots that toppled the Yosainese regime, leading to the formation of the Second Republic under President Theodore Ackerson.
Elthize is a liberal democracy with high levels of personal and economic freedom, low tax rates, and a market-based economy, with major industries in resource extraction, services, and tourism. It became a member of the European Union in April 2022, as well as a signatory to the Treaty of Finisterre in January 2023, adopting the European Monetary Unit (EMU) as its currency, alongside seven member states. However, the country suffers from high economic inequality, corruption, above-average crime rates, and significant environmental pollution.
I - Fact summary
Official country name: The State of Elthize
Short name: Elthize
Pronunciation: El-fees
Demonym: Elthic (noun and adjective), Elthizian
Country codes: EZ, ETZ
Top level domain: .co.ez, .ez
Drives on the: right
Time zone: UTC
Date format: MM-DD-YYYY
Power plug type: Type C, Type E, Type F
Calling code: +90
National motto: None
National anthem: None
National colours: Blue and yellow
Population: 4,828 million (2024 estimate)
Life expectancy: 72,4 years (2024 estimate)
Literacy rate (aged 14 and over): ~85%
Official language: None (De jure. While no language is specified as the official language of Elthize, English is used by the national government for administrative reasons.)
Languages spoken: English (~99%), Elfiz languages (~10%), Spanish (~5%), Elthic Sign Language (~5%), Japanese (~3%), French (~1%)
Religion: Unaffiliated (~50%), Christianity (~40%), Elfiz indigenous religions (~5%), Judaism (~3%), Other (~2%)
Ethnicity: Non-specific Elthic (~40%), European Elthic (~35%), Black Elthic (~10%), Indigenous Elthic (~10%), Other (~5%)
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The term "Non-specific Elthic" is used for Elthic people who simply identify as Elthic and refuse to elaborate on their ethnicity.
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Indigenous Elthic, also called the Elfiz, are Elthic people who descended from the Elfiz tribe, which ruled most of modern-day Elthize prior to British arrival. However, not all Black people in Elthize identify as Indigenous. These people are classified under the term "Black Elthic" instead.
Capital city: Forecoaster
Largest city: St. Lucas
Government type: Unitary presidential republic
Legislature branch: Parliament of The State of Elthize (unicameral)
Executive branch: President and the cabinet
Judicial branch: The High Court, Provincial courts, federal courts, family and civil courts, criminal courts, and administrative courts
Head of State and Government: President Melissa Chai (assumed office July 10, 2024)
Ruling party: Congress for Social Democracy & UnitedLeft alliance
European Councillor: Councillor William "Wilko" Moreland (since November 11, 2024)
Official currency: EMU (₠) (European Monetary Unit)
Banknotes: 5₠, 10₠, 20₠, 50₠ and 100₠
Coins: 1 cent, 2 cents; 5 cents; 10 cents; 20 cents; 50 cents; 1₠ & 2₠
GDP: 380,3 billion ₠ (April 2022)
GDP per capita: 44,741₠ (April 2022)
Unemployment rate: ~7%
Notable agricultural exports: wheat, rice, potatoes, oranges, tangerines, meat, milk, eggs
Notable manufacturing exports: automobiles, computers, industrial machinery
Economy by sector: ~30% services, ~25% mining, ~20% industrial, ~10% tourism, ~10% agriculture, ~5% other
Electricity production: ~50% nuclear, ~30% natural gas, ~15% other renewables (solar, wind, hydroelectric, etc), ~5% other non-renewables (coal, oil, etc)
Major exports: Diamonds, natural gas, electronics, automobiles, tobacco, alcohol
Major imports: Petroleum, medicine, food, water
Major trade partners: Leagio, Yosai, Spain, Inquista, Duxburian Union, Reitzmag
Income tax rate: 0%
Corporate tax: 15%
Value-added tax: 7,5%
Location: Located in Southern Europe, west and north of the Commonwealth of Leagio and south of the Federal Republic of Yosai.
Terrain and landscape: Mostly flatlands and hills, with more mountainous terrain in the south.
Highest point: Mt. Wintercroft (1643 m), Southern Counties
Lowest point: Sea level (0 m)
Climate: Mediterranean climate characterized by hot summers and mild winters.
Average daily high: 36.6 °C
Average daily low: 10.3 °C
Record high: 48,4 °C, August 1938, near Bricksport, The Midlands
Record low: -25,4 °C, February 1980, near Mananfra, Southern Counties
Average annual precipitation: 646 mm per year
II - Administrative divisions of Elthize
Map of administrative divisions in Elthize
As of May 2023, Elthize is divided into eleven provinces: Ackerson, Brownell, Forecoaster, Liamville, Marchand, The Midlands, Montgomery, Northern Counties, Port Nelson, Southern Counties and St. Lucas.
While the country is recognized as a unitary state, it is considered a "devolved government", meaning that the administration in Forecoaster has transferred substantial power to the provinces, to varying degrees. Provinces are also further divided into counties for administrative purposes.
Most provinces have a devolved government except three: Forecoaster, The Midlands and Northern Counties. These provinces are directly legislated by the national parliament, with their governor appointed by the president.
Administrative divisions
Province Largest city Population Governor Parties in provincial government Ackerson Theodorburg 215,000 Franklin Parker Congress for Social Democracy Brownell Brownell 380,000 Rowan Holmwood Congress for Social Democracy Forecoaster Forecoaster 735,000 Jess Udo No devolved government Liamville Liamville 126,000 Robin Platuck Business Party Marchand Marchand City 185,000 Bell Marsh Congress for Social Democracy The Midlands Petersfeld 83,000 Oliver York No devolved government Montgomery Montgomery 840,000 Hunter Vance Progressive Conservative Party Northern Counties Augusta 98,000 Kamau Williams No devolved government Port Nelson Port Nelson 376,000 Nick Thorburn Moderates Southern Counties Mananfra 240,000 Pat Mwangi Elfiz Party, Green Party of Elthize St. Lucas St. Lucas 1,550,000 Martha Krystoff Congress for Social Democracy & UnitedLeft alliance
III - President of Elthize
The President of Elthize is the head of state, government and executive branch in The State of Elthize.
According to the Constitution of Elthize, the president holds supremacy over all other government institutions in Elthize and is responsible for enforcing laws passed by the parliament.
The president can issue executive orders, which are directives and guidelines that are given to the Elthic government and the president's cabinet. The president can withdraw an executive order at any time, though it can be revoked by the Parliament of Elthize or declared unlawful or unconstitutional by a high court in the country.
The president and their cabinet can also issue provisional laws, temporary laws that only last for six months. A provisional law can be extended with parliament's approval a maximum of four times, after which the provisional law needs to become actual law.
The presidency was suspended between 1954 and 1968 by the Yosainese military, which occupied the country at the time.
List of presidents in The State of Elthize
Name In office Affiliated party Government and elections William Lee Marchand (1906 - 1952) May 20, 1937 - November 8, 1950 Unaffiliated Marchand I (1938), Marchand II (1942), Marchand III (1946) Florence Maitland (1923 - 2017) November 8, 1950 - June 20, 1954 Unaffiliated Maitland I (1950) Theodore Ackerson (1939 - 2018) December 1, 1968 - December 7, 1978 Labour - On coalition with New Democracy from 1973-1978 Ackerson I (1968), Ackerson II (1973) Alika Mbanefo (1950 -) December 7, 1978 - November 29, 1983 New Democracy - On coalition with Labour Mbanefo I (1978) Benjamin "Benny" Kalzer (1955 - 2024) November 29, 1983 - December 1, 1992 Liberal Democrats - On coalition with New Democracy from 1988 - 1992 Kalzer I (1983), Kalzer II (1988) Roy Harper (1940 - 2011) December 1, 1992 - November 4, 1999 Labour - On coalition with New Democracy Harper I (1992), Harper II (1996) Gloria Dietrich (1957 - 2002) November 4, 1999- February 8, 2002 Labour - On coalition with The Greens Dietrich I, Dietrich II (2000) Archie Franklin (1952 - 2016) February 8, 2002 - July 24, 2014 Liberal Democrats - On coalition with New Democracy (2002 - June 2013), Unaffiliated (June 2013 - July 2014) Franklin I (2002), Franklin II (2004), Franklin III (2008), Franklin IV (2012) Greenwich Grimwald (1944 -) July 24, 2014 - July 10, 2024 The Third Option - On coalition with New Democracy & The Nationals Grimwald I (2014), Grimwald II (2018), Grimwald III (2022) Melissa Chai (1984 -) July 10, 2024 - present UnitedLeft alliance - On coalition with Congress for Social Democracy and Moderates Chai I (2024)
IV - Parliament of Elthize
The Parliament of The State of Elthize is the legislative body of the Elthic government. Following the parliamentary elections in July 2024, the parliament is unicameral and consists of 52 seats, distributed among provinces proportional to their population.
Members of the parliament are elected with the proportional representation system, using the D'hondt method. Elections are done once every three years, though elections can be called by the president at any given time.
Distribution of the seats in the Parliament of Elthize by province
(as of July 25, 2023)
Province Amount of seats St. Lucas 18 Montgomery 9 Forecoaster 8 Port Nelson 4 Brownell 4 Marchand 2 Ackerson 2 Southern Counties 2 Liamville 1 Northern Counties 1 The Midlands 1
Distribution of the seats in the Parliament of Elthize by party
(as of July 7, 2024)
Party Amount of seats Congress for Social Democracy 16 Moderates 12 Progressive Conservative Party 10 Elfiz Party 3 Harmony 3 Business Party 3 Green Party of Elthize 2 Democrats for Elthize 1 Democratic Socialists for Elthize 1 Communist Party of Elthize 1
V - Judiciary of Elthize
The judicial system of The State of Elthize consists of various courts, ranging in focus.
The High Court, officially The High Court of The State of Elthize, is the highest in Elthize, established on May 1, 2023, following the merge of the Constitutional Court and Supreme Court following a referendum in February 2023. The High Court is responsible for overseeing laws, decrees, and other decisions; made either by the government, private institutions, or individuals in The State of Elthize and analysing whether they violate the Constitution of Elthize or Elthic law.
The High Court can also oversee the verdicts of other courts and revoke, amend, or affirm them at their will. As the highest court in Elthize, only the High Court itself can challenge its previous decisions, as well as other international courts above it, such as the European Court of Justice. The High Court consists of eleven judges, one from each province. The judges are elected by the bar associations of each province, without approval from the legislature. Judges in The High Court may serve for ten years, starting from the moment they assume office.
The Chief Justice of The State of Elthize oversees and administers the High Court and decides on which cases to give a verdict on. This position is elected by the judges in the High Court.
In addition, there are provincial high courts in all provinces except The Midlands and Northern Counties, as well as various civil courts, criminal courts and administrative courts.
List of current justices in The High Court of The State of Elthize
The Chief Justice is highlighted with a star (★)
Judge Province Assumed office Term expiration date Daniel Marchwill Ackerson March 1, 2024 March 1, 2034 Julian Fairchild Brownell May 1, 2023 May 1, 2033 William Huddleston Forecoaster May 1, 2023 May 1, 2033 Naomi Cobb Liamville May 1, 2023 May 1, 2033 Lazlo Pelletier ★ Marchand May 1, 2023 May 1, 2033 Florence Reid The Midlands May 1, 2023 May 1, 2033 Isabelle Ramsey Montgomery May 1, 2023 May 1, 2033 Erik Hamilton Northern Counties May 1, 2023 May 1, 2033 Ashanti Asamanta Port Nelson May 1, 2023 May 1, 2033 J. L. Masso Southern Counties May 1, 2023 May 1, 2033 Mason Garland St. Lucas May 1, 2023 May 1, 2033
VI - Councillor of Elthize
The Councillor for The State of Elthize represents the country in the European Council in Europolis. The position was established when Elthize joined the European Union in April 2022.
The councillor is elected in accordance with the Elected and Accountable Council Act, a requirement when the country joined the European Union. Although this law was repealed in September 2023, Elthize continues to hold elections for its councillor. Interim councillors, however, are appointed by the President to prevent vacancies.
List of councillors from Elthize
Name Assumed office Left office Length of tenure Affiliated party Elections Liam Zachary (1994 -) April 15, 2022 February 24, 2023 (removed from office) 10 months, 10 days The Third Option - Additional support from New Democracy & The Nationals 2022 May Hobbes (1962 -) February 24, 2023 (interim) July 1, 2023 4 months, 7 days New Democracy - Additional support from The Third Option & The Nationals None Rebel Kofi (1981 -) July 1, 2023 July 5, 2024 1 year and 4 days Independent 2023 Devon Albert (1971 -) July 5, 2024 (interim) November 11, 2024 4 months, 6 days Moderates None Wilko Moreland (1984 -) November 11, 2024 Present Incumbent Congress for Social Democracy - Additional support from the Green Party of Elthize 2024 -
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