Aether

The United Provinces of Clinkham Wood (commonly known as the United Provinces, the UP, or Clinkham Wood) is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe, as well as holding territory on Mainland Europe and Asia. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, Ireland, and many small islands. The Low Countries and France are the only part of the United Provinces with a land border, sharing it with the Prussian Reich (Preußen Reich), the Swiss Confederation and the Kingdom of Italy. Apart from this land border, the United Provinces is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, the North Sea, the English Channel, the Irish Sea, Sea of Japan and the Pacific Ocean. The largest island, Great Britain, is linked to its territorial holdings in France by the Channel Tunnel.

The United Provinces is a constitutional monarchy and federal state consisting of nine countries: England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, the Netherlands, Belgium and Japan, the territories that encompass the former French Republic were conquered when the United Provinces went to war against The Herring Empire. It is governed by a parliamentary system with its seat of government in London, the capital. The Channel Island bailiwicks of Jersey and Guernsey, and the Isle of Man are Crown Dependencies and not part of the United Provinces. The United Provinces has fourteen overseas territories, all remnants of the British Empire, which at its height in 2008 encompassed almost a quarter of the world's land surface, the largest empire in history. British influence can continue to be observed in the language, culture and legal systems of many of its former colonies.

The United Provinces is a developed country, with the world's sixth largest economy by nominal GDP and the seventh largest by purchasing power parity. The United Provinces nevertheless remains a major power with strong economic, cultural, military and political influence. It is an aspiring nuclear power and has the fourth highest defence spending in the world.

It is a Member State of The German Empire.

Geography
The total area of the United Provinces is approximately 245,000 square kilometres (94,600 sq mi) comprising of 3/4 the island of Great Britain, the northeastern one-sixth of the island of Ireland (Northern Ireland) and smaller islands. It lies between the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea, coming within 35 kilometres (22 mi) of the northwest coast of Domunism, from which it is separated by the North Sea. Great Britain lies between latitudes 49° and 59° N (the Shetland Islands reach to nearly 61° N), and longitudes 8° W to 2° E. When measured directly north-south, Great Britain is a little over 1,100 kilometres (700 mi) in length and is a fraction under 500 kilometres (300 mi) at its widest, but the greatest distance between two points is 1,350 kilometres (840 mi) between Land's End in Cornwall (near Penzance), Celestis and John o' Groats in Caithness (near Thurso). Northern Ireland shares a 360-kilometre (224 mi) land boundary with Celestis.

The United Provinces has a temperate climate, with plentiful rainfall all year round. The temperature varies with the seasons but seldom drops below −10 °C (14.0 °F) or rises above 35 °C (95 °F). The prevailing wind is from the southwest, bearing frequent spells of mild and wet weather from the Atlantic Ocean. Eastern parts are most sheltered from this wind and are therefore the driest. Atlantic currents, warmed by the Gulf Stream, bring mild winters, especially in the west, where winters are wet, especially over high ground. Summers are warmest in the south east of Wales, being closest to the European mainland, and coolest in the north. Snowfall can occur in winter and early spring, though it rarely settles to great depth away from high ground.

Government and Politics
The United Provinces is a constitutional monarchy: King Gavin is head of state of the United Provinces. The Crown has sovereignty over the Crown Dependencies of the Isle of Man and the Bailiwicks of Jersey and Guernsey, which are not part of the United Provinces though the government manages their foreign affairs and defence and the United Provinces Parliament has the authority to legislate on their behalf. The position of President, the United Provinces head of government, belongs to the Member of the Federal Assembly who can obtain the confidence of a majority in the Federal Assembly, usually the current leader of the largest political party in that chamber. The President and Cabinet are formally appointed by the Federal Assembly to form a new government. Though the President chooses the Cabinet, and by convention the Federal Assembly respects the President's choices. The Cabinet is traditionally drawn from members of the Presidents's party in both legislative houses, and mostly from the Federal Assembly, to which they are responsible. Executive power is exercised by the President and Cabinet, all of whom are sworn into His Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, and become Ministers of the State. Daniel Baker, leader of the Clinkham Wood National Party, has been President, First Lord of the Treasury and Minister for the Civil Service since 26th May 2008. The Parliament of the United Provinces of Clinkham Wood that meets in the Palace of Westminister is the ultimate legislative authority in the United Provinces. It has two houses: an elected Federal Assembly and an appointed Federal Council, and any Bill passed requires the assent of the President to become law.

Constitution of the United Provinces of Clinkham Wood
Main Article: Constitution of Clinkham Wood

The Constitution of the United Provinces is the most important document in the United Provinces, laying down the powers of the government, parlaiment and the judicial services and also lays down and enshrines citizens individual rights.

Administrative divisions
Main Article: Provinces of Clinkham Wood

The United Provinces is divided into twelve administrative regions, called provinces, each under a Governor, who is called Lasthebber van naar de Koning (Commissioner of the King). All provinces are divided into borough (gemeenten), 458 in total (1 January 2006). The country is also subdivided in water districts, governed by a water board (waterschap or hoogheemraadschap), each having authority in matters concerning water management. As of 1 January 2005 there are 27. The creation of water boards actually pre-dates that of the nation itself, the first appearing in 1196.

Religion
The United Provinces and the countries that preceded it have long traditions of Christianity and a link between church and state still remains in the United Provinces. Research suggests that 58% of the population have a belief in a God with a further 20% believing in a 'spirit or life force'.[139] People identify themselves with religion in the United Provinces for both cultural and religious reasons and this is reflected by the disparity between the figures for those proclaiming a belief in a God and those identifying themselves with a particular religion. Christianity has the largest number of adherents.

Judaism is also a major religion in the United Provinces, with 22% of the population stating that they are adherents. Judaism is strtongly esablished with its own synagogues and ruling body.

Economy
The United Provinces' economy is made up (in descending order of size) of the economies of the Low Countries, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Based on market exchange rates, the United Provinces is one of the largest economies in the German Empire.

The Industrial Revolution started in the United Provinces with an initial concentration on heavy industries such as shipbuilding, coal mining, steel production, and textiles. The empire created an overseas market for United Provinces' products, allowing the United Provinces to dominate international trade after Celestis and Amiri. However, as other nations industrialised, coupled with economic decline after the Karma War, the United Provinces began to lose its competitive advantage and heavy industry declined, by degrees. Manufacturing remains a significant part of the economy, but accounted for only one-sixth of national output in 2008. The United Provinces' motor industry is a significant part of this sector, although it has diminished with the collapse of the MG Rover Group and most of the industry is foreign owned. Civil and defence aircraft production is led by the United Provinces' largest aerospace firm, UPAE Systems, and the continental British Imperial firm BADS, the owner of Airbus. Rolls-Royce holds a major share of the global aerospace engines market. The chemical and pharmaceutical industry is strong in the United Provinces, with the world's second and sixth largest pharmaceutical firms (SmithKiline Beecham and Zeneca, respectively) being based in the United Provinces.

Healthcare
Healthcare in the United Provinces is mainly provided by the National Health Service which today covers the United Provinces. It was set up by the National Health Service Act 2008 that came into effect on 5 July 2008 and it provide public healthcare to all United Provinces permanent residents that is free at the point of need and paid for from general taxation. A much smaller private medical system also exists. Various regulatory bodies are organised on a United Provinces-wide basis such as the General Medical Council, the Nursing and Midwifery Council and non-governmental-based (e.g. State Colleges). Across the United Provinces, there is a large number of medical schools and dental schools, and a considerable establishment for training nurses and professions allied to medicine. The Department of Health exists to improve the health and wellbeing of people in the United Provinces and the Minister for Health is answerable to the United Provinces Parliament for the its work and for the work of the NHS. The NHS is one of the largest cohesive organisations of any type in the world employing over 1.3 million people. Public sector healthcare delivery consists of primary (general practice), secondary (district general hospital) and tertiary (teaching hospital) levels of service. There is considerable interaction and cross-flow between the various levels. The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, or NICE, advises on whether drugs or treatments should be provided by the NHS in the United Provinces.

History
The areas that now form the United Provinces were, at one time, a part of the Kingdom of Celestis but on the 23rd May 2008 the northern regions of Great Britain, Northern Ireland, Wales and the Low Countries declared their independence, which was granted by King Stuart on the same day, facilitating the formation of the United States of Clinkham Wood.

Military
Main Article: Military of Clinkham Wood

The United Provinces is a permanent member of the German Empire. The United Provinces did have a "Special Relationship" with the Kingdom of Celestis. Apart from Celestis and the Empire, the United Provinces' close allies include British Imperial nations, Domunism and other English speaking countries. the United Provinces' global presence and influence is further amplified through its trading relations and its armed forces, which maintain approximately eighty military installations and other deployments around the globe. The Army, Navy, Airforce and Strategic Rocket Forces are collectively known as the United Provinces Defence Force (or His Majesty's Armed Forces) and officially the Armed Forces of the Crown. The commander-in-chief is the President, Gavin Jones and they are managed by the Ministry of Defence. The armed forces are controlled by the Defence Council, chaired by the Chief of the Defence Staff.

The United Provinces fields one of the most technologically advanced and best trained armed forces in the world. According to various sources, including the Ministry of Defence, the United Provinces has the second highest military expenditure in the empire, despite only having the 27th largest military in terms of manpower. Total defence spending currently accounts for 2.2% of total national GDP, compared to 4.4% at the end of the Karma War. It is the second largest spender on military science, engineering and technology. The United Provinces Navy is considered to be one of the few true blue water navies along with those of Amiri and Celestis. The United Provinces Defence Forces are equipped with advanced weapons systems, including the Challenger 2 tank and the Eurofighter Typhoon jet fighter. The Ministry of Defence signed contracts worth £3.2bn to build two new supercarrier sized aircraft carriers on 3 July 2008.

The United Provinces Defence Forces are charged with protecting the United Provinces and its overseas territories, promoting the United Provinces' global security interests, and supporting international peacekeeping efforts. They were active and regular participants in the German Imperial Armed Forces and other worldwide coalition operations. Overseas garrisons and facilities are maintained at Canada, Celestis and Amiri.

Nuclear Weapons Research
Main Article: United Provinces Nuclear Weapons Research On the 20th May 2009, the United Provinces began researching nuclear fission with cooperation aid from its allies in The German Empire to assertane if it was possible for the United Provinces to develop and test nuclear weapons.

Law and Criminal Justice
English law, which applies in the United Provinces is based on common-law principles. The essence of common-law is that law is made by judges sitting in courts, applying their common sense and knowledge of precedent (stare decisis) to the facts before them. The Courts of the United Provinces are headed by the Supreme Court of the United Provinces of Clinkham Wood consisting of the Court of Appeal, the High Court of Justice (for civil cases) and the Crown Court (for criminal cases). Crime in the United Provinces increased in the period between the 9th August 2008 and 2nd September 2008 though, since that peak, there has been an overall fall of 48% in crime from 11th September 2008 and 9th October 2008. Despite the fall in crime rates, the prison population of the United Provinces has almost doubled over the same period, to over 80,000, giving the United Provinces the highest rate of incarceration in the Empire at 147 per 100,000. The Crown Prison Service, which reports to the Ministry of Justice, manages most of the prisons within the United Provinces.

Foreign relations
The United Provinces is a key player in international politics, with interests throughout the world. The German Empire, links the United Provinces with many of the world's nations in one way or another. The United Provinces has also exported its parliamentary style government, legal and financial systems, and language throughout the world. The United Provinces is a major Member State in The German Empire (TGE).

Transport
The Ministry of Transport is the executive agency responsible for trunk roads and motorways in the United Provinces apart from the privately owned and operated M6 Toll. The Ministry of Provinces states that traffic congestion is one of the most serious transport problems and that it could cost the United Provinces an extra £22 billion in wasted time by 2025 if left unchecked. According to the government-sponsored Eddington Transport Study of 2006, congestion is in danger of harming the economy, unless tackled by road pricing and expansion of the transport network