Marshdonia

Marshdonia, or officially The Realm of Marshdonia, is a well developed, old nation (established on 1 August 2007) to the northwest of mainland Europe. It it is made up of a large area of the British Isles, as well as parts of mainland Europe. The United Kingdom is a monarchy with James I as head of state, although a parliament does sit (Marshdonian Assembly), comprising four constituent boroughs: the Borough of Hanslope, the Borough of Nottingham and the Borough of Surrey and The Overseas International Territories. Marshdonia is a full member at Mushroom Kingdom, having joined from Deck of Cards on 6 July 2008.

Government and Politics
Marshdonia is a monarchy with James I, King of the Realm of Marshdonia and Territories, as head of state. This title is often shortened to 'King of Marshdonia'. Marshdonia has a unicameral parliament government, which is based in Hanslope, in the Borough of Hanslope.



Marshdonia's constitution is set out on the first day of each month by the king, with any changes taking immediate effect. This 'Royal Constitution' is supreme over all parliamentary legislation and case law. Assembly legislation take priority over case law. No Marshdonian Assembly may bind future Assemblies.

There is no leader of the Marshdonian Assembly. Each borough's population elects eleven representatives (one for each county), in total there are 44 MMAs (Members of the Marshdonian Assembly). Each MMA is independent and equal - each MMA may bring up issues for discussion at the monthly Assembly Discussion - taking place on the first three days of each month. For bills to be passed, they require twenty-four votes, including at least six from each borough. All bills are subject to Royal Assent. The king has the power to remove an MMA from office, though this has never occurred. Elections for the Marshdonian Assembly are held on the fourth to last day of every month, with office being taken on the last day of the same month.

In order to deal with cross-border issues in what is now a state of more than just one island, the state, on 9 February 2008, set up an Intelligence Agency in Dublin on the Irish island. Three further Agencies were set up four days later in Amsterdam, Brussels and Le Havre. 14 February 2008 saw the construction of a fifth and final Agency in Hanslope to regulate the other four Agencies.

Administrative Subdivisions
Initially, three boroughs were established to recognise each's individual cultural and social differences: the Borough of Hanslope, the Borough of Nottingham and the Borough of Surrey. On 15 February 2008, the Overseas International Territories were formed as a fourth borough governing all over-water territories.

The capital of Marshdonia is Hanslope, which has the largest population of any city. Marshdonia is split into three boroughs: the Borough of Hanslope, the Borough of Surrey the Borough of Nottingham and The Overseas International Territories. Each borough is split into eleven counties and has a capital city: Hanslope, Redhill, Nottingham and Paris, respectively.

Foreign Relations History
Since its establishment, Marshdonia has always fought for sovereignty. However, at the same time it recognises the need for protection and has almost always been part of a multi-national alliance. Its current alliance is the Mushroom Kingdom. Its foreign ministry is based in Hanslope, but its decisions are subject to judicial, parliamentary and royal review. It is a mostly neutral country when it comes to foreign affairs, usually only attacking other nations if attacked first. The government gives foreign aid to its allies when it can, but looks to take care of its own people first. Marshdonia will not make deals with another country that has a poor history of inhuman treatment of its citizens.

[[Image:WAPA2.png|40px]] We Are Perth Army
Marshdonia's king, James I, took the decision to join WAPA on 2 August 2007, one day after the country itself was born. Marshdonia's Member Number was 0152 and full membership was held for three months and four days. On 6 August 2007, WAPA and Marshdonia laid out their commitment to each other, with James I becoming Editor of WAPA's first ever newsletter - The Blueheaven. He published the newsletter every Saturday, usually before 12:00 Game Time. James I published four of the first five newsletters. In the pursuit of greater challenges, James I resigned from the post on 15 September 2007.

In the Unjust War, Marshdonia fought bravely with WAPA against the Global Democratic Alliance and the Multicolored Cross-X Alliance from 12 September 2007. Before MCXA joined GDA in the battle, WAPA were, despite their lower numbers, winning the battle against GDA. New Polar Order also later joined the battle against WAPA and their close allies Scotland Forever. WAPA had previously left BLEU (a Blue sphere bloc of which all GDA, MCXA and NpO were all members) to honour its MADP with \m/. \m/, however, were militarily stretched and could not help WAPA in the war, disbanded, and consequently WAPA withdrew from the war on 20 September 2007.

12 October 2007 marked a proud day for the Marshdonian natives with their king taking up the post of Minister of Foreign Affairs at WAPA, gaining 60% of the vote in a 7-horse race. He withdrew from the running for the Firm elections, despite being nominated. James I implemented a new diplomat system at the alliance in his time at the Foreign Affairs office, assigning colours to diplomats. He viewed Arkangel09 as his finest diplomat, a ruler who then left WAPA and joined the Deck of Cards.

6 November 2007 was the day that an era came to a close in Marshdonia. King James I resigned from his position as Minister of Foreign Affairs, left WAPA and moved to the Black Team, with the intention of entering the Order of the Black Rose's hallowed Chamber of Supplication. James I ordered that the country should enter peace mode for the first time in its history to protect itself from attacks.

[[Image:FlagRose.jpg|40px]] Order of the Black Rose
James I briefly became a supplicant to the Order of the Black Rose having left WAPA. However, 6 days into the 14-day questioning period, he withdrew his supplication and changed back to the White Team. James I had grown frustrated at the nature of questioning, finding the line of questioning to run irrelevant. However, the main reason for his withdrawal was the prospect of joining several ex-WAPA allies at the newly-formed Deck of Cards - Atropine, Death Eater, mkoricic and smackpixi were just four of those.

[[Image:Deck of cards.png|40px]] Deck of Cards
17 November 2007 saw Marshdonia become one of the founder members of the Deck of Cards, an innovative new alliance, which in its first month grew to a total strength of in excess of 300,000. James I immediately took on the role of Jack of Spades, a return to his first role at WAPA. The job entailed making public announcements on DoC's behalf and publishing the weekly newsletter, The DoCument.

Other achievements attributed to James I at Deck of Cards are the commissioning of Deck of Cards' flag and the effective founding of the alliance, along with several other members. On 23 January 2008 King James I was elected Ace of Diamonds, giving him complete power over Internal Affairs under the Second Articles of Confederation.

On 1 February 2008, in the MK-WAPA War, Marshdonia fell into direct conflict with Ivkovian, Gamorah and Borla. The first and third of these, ruled by ivkov and solitre, were once allied with Marshdonia at We Are Perth Army. Peace was declared between Marshdonia and the three opponent nations a day after the declaration. This did not prevent Ivkov from breaking the terms of surrender and causing in excess of $2M of damage.

23 March 2008 saw James I re-elected onto the seat of Ace of Diamonds at Deck of Cards. On 27 March 2008, ex-WAPA nation Holy Justice attacked three Marshdonian allies Arkhazakhstan, Australian Freedom and Pecktrovia. Marshdonia attacked back against the nation along with heyheyrap3r and Republic of Jutland.

As of ?? May 2008 James I no longer holds a government position at Deck of Cards, having resigned to concentrate on national matters, but was given the honorary Hierophant card. On 5 July 2008, Marshdonia withdrew from Deck of Cards after 231 days at the alliance. Marshdonia was the longest-serving state in the history of Deck of Cards at the time of withdrawal.

[[Image:Mkflag.png|40px]] Mushroom Kingdom
James I took the decision to join Mushroom Kingdom, close allies of DoC, and was accepted on 6 July 2008. As of 10 July 2008, James I was appointed the Mushroom Kingdom's official ambassador to We Are Perth Army and The Revolution.

On 26 July 2008, Marshdonia declared war on Money Land, looting much money, destroying large amounts of infrastructure and gaining technology and land. The nation's motto is considered offensive across the world.

On 13 August 2008, Mushroom Kingdom ordered Marshdonia to enter peace mode in anticipation of the War of the Coalition, given intelligence that it would fight in a second wave of attacks, after seven days. Entering the battlefield on 20 August 2008, King James I declared war on Celtic Guard and Zion.

Law


The highest court in the kingdom for all criminal and civil cases in Marshdonia is the Royal Supreme Court of Marshdonia. The second highest court for criminal cases is the Crown Court and for civil cases the Court of Justice. The third and final tier of courts are the County Courts, which deal with minor offences in both civil and criminal cases. Marshdonia uses a common law system - that is judge-made law, with judges sitting in courts, applying their common sense and knowledge of legal precedent to the facts before them.

The Royal Police Headquarters, opened on 12 January 2008 in Hanslope, which regulates the Royal Police Force and is home to the largest prison in the country is the principle body of law enforcement in the country. A second Police Headquarters was opened in Nottingham on 16 January 2008 to recognise its exceptionally high crime rates. Five days later, a third HQ was inaugurated in South Redhill. On 27 January 2008, Calais became home to a fourth Police HQ. Plans for a fifth Royal Police Headquarters to spread the workload and travelling costs were substantiated by the opening of a facility in Dublin.

Geography


As James I's Marshdonia established itself, it reached further into England and James I now controls almost all of the British Isles, the Benelux region as well as most of Denmark, Switzerland and large regions in France and Germany, and small areas in Austria, Italy, Sweden and the Czech Republic. Its current territory is viewable here. Most of mainland Marshdonia (Great Britain) consists of lowland terrain, and mountainous terrain north-west of the Tees-Exe line. Mountain chains are found in the north-west (Cumbrian Mountains of the Lake District), north (the upland moors of the Pennines and limestone hills of the Peak District), and south-west (Wales, Exmoor and Dartmoor). Lower ranges include the limestone hills of the Isle of Purbeck, Cotswolds and Lincolnshire Wolds, and the chalk downs of the Southern England Chalk Formation. The main rivers and estuaries are the Thames, Severn and the Humber Estuary. The largest urban area is Hanslope.

Climate
Marshdonia has a temperate climate, with plentiful rainfall all year round. The temperature varies with the seasons but rarely drops below −10 °C or rises above 35 °C. 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 England, 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.

Cities
Hanslope is the capital of Marshdonia as a whole with several cities laying claim to the title "second city", including Nottingham, Paris, Dublin, Redhill and Cardiff for various historical, political and economic reasons.

The largest towns and cities in Marshdonia are as follows:


 * around 9,000: Hanslope
 * around 1,500: Nottingham
 * around 750: Paris
 * around 375: Cardiff, Dublin and Redhill
 * around 300: Amsterdam, Bristol, Brussels, Calais, Dover, Le Havre, Manchester, Newcastle and Swansea

Statistics as of 1 August 2008.

Population
The Royal Census is conducted every month with statistics released on the first day of each month, but current statistics can be found here. On 1 August 2008, the working population was 75,016. The start of August saw a sharp increase in population compared with much of July. Marshdonia's population density was 74.39 people per square mile.

Migration and ethnicity
Present day Marshdonians are descended mainly from their Engish ancestors. The increased influence of the country has however lead to a mixing of ethnicity as Marshdonia covers other parts of Europe. Ninety per cent of the population remain of English descent however. The largest urban settlements in Marshdonia: Nottingham, Hanslope, Cardiff and Redhill are the areas subject to most immigration from other nearby countries. This, along with increasing birth rates, is contributing to a rising population. Marshdonia has an open border policy, but in order for immigrants to remain in the country they will have to pass Marshdonia's stringent citizen compatibility tests first.

Language
Marshdonia has two official languages and court proceedings may be brought in either of those: French or English. However, in the Overseas International Territories, the native language may be used if English or French cannot be used for good reason. On the British Isles, English is by far the more dominantly spoken language with 99.9% speaking the language compared to 27.8% speakers of fluent French on the British Isles. Other languages spoken are Welsh (65.2% in the Welsh region) and German (3.9% of the British Isles).

Religion
King James I is a passionate atheist but admits that religion does exist in his country, despite his strong opposition towards it. He also recognises the need to offer his citizens freedom of expression. The king has declined the opportunity to destroy religious places of worship. Atheism is the increasingly dominant religion - accounting for 84.2% of the population. The remainder is made up by Buddhists, Christians, Jainists, Jews, Sikhs as well as followers of Shinto, the Baha'i Faith and Voodoo.

The king's recognition of the need for many of his citizens to follow a religion was doubted until he unveiled plans to construct five state-funded places of worship. The first was built in Dublin on 17 February 2008. Four more of these establishments were opened on 25 March 2008 in Manchester, Swansea, Paris and Amsterdam. On 22 May 2008, Marshdonia's Great Temple was opened, recognising the the state's openness to religions of any kind. The Great Temple is officially "a place of worship for all religions", but serves the practical purpose of being Hanslope's administrative centre.

Economy
Marshdonia has an increasingly strong economy. Experts rate it as 'very solid'. Hanslope is the major centre for international trade. With the international restrictions on trade, Hanslope's foreign ministry is the major decision-maker on international trade. For the large part, Marshdonia trades with five other nations.

Redhill, the capital of the Borough of Surrey, is home to Marshdonia's main harbour, exporting huge amounts of coal and cattle every day and importing large amounts of other resources required to keep the nation in good health. The Borough of Surrey is Marshdonia's poorest area and all five of Marshdonia's Royal Factories are based in the borough, providing the majority of jobs. Each Factory provides for a different industry. Four of the Factories are factories in the traditional sense, producing steel, fast food, and construction materials (of which there are two), but the fifth is in fact a brewery. On 20 August 2008, it was announced that these factories would be closed to account for the fall in demand for production during the War of the Coalition - the buildings were used as guerilla camps where soldiers could be trained.



The Borough of Hanslope is largely a cattle farming area and this is the trade in which the majority work. This contrasts with the northern Borough of Nottingham, which specialises in coal mining. Private salary income tax in Marshdonia is exceptionally high and is the source of much debate in the country.

There are five Royal Banks of Marshdonia, each with the power to print Royal Shillings. Nottingham and Redhill each have one such bank, and the Borough of Hanslope has three.

On 24 January 2008, the government announced an initiative to hold Labour Camps to decrease the unemployment rate. The camps provide free opportunities to enhance or develop new skills and are now held once or twice each week in Cardiff, Nottingham, Dublin, Paris and Amsterdam.

Government involvement throughout the economy is exercised by the Treasurer who publishes the Royal Accounts, announcing where the country's taxes will be spent for the following month. The Treasurer is not elected, but chosen by the king. There is some concern amongst anti-Royalists that the reason for this is to ensure the monarch is seen in a good light.

The Treasurer announced changes to tax rate on 21 March 2008 as Marshdonia's income tax rate, already considered extortionate at 28%, was increased to 30%, alongside more elaborate social security system mechanisms, providing benefits to ageing members of the populace.

On 22 April 2008, the Treasurer inaugurated the Royal Stock Exchange, RSE, opened in Hanslope. It lists Marshdonian enterprises only. This led to an economy boom and in mid-June of the same year; the Treasurer announced a rise in interest rates to allow the Marshdonian citizens to earn more from their investments. On 27 June 2008, the Treasurer put forward plans to cut spending on military due to the stable nature of the state to help ease worries that unemployment was on the rise and the decrease in consumer spending.

Currency
The currency of Marshdonia is the royal shilling, represented by this symbol: §. There are five Royal Banks of Marshdonia, each with the power to print royal shillings. Nottingham and Redhill each have one such bank, and the Borough of Hanslope has three. The royal shilling has been growing at a steady rate ever since it was introduced with the one exception of the Great Recession in February 2008 when an earthquake hit Marshdonia's financial centre, causing approximately a month's income to be spent solely on reparations.

Education
Marshdonia's official literacy rate is 100%. Education is compulsory and free from the ages of four to fourteen (years 1 to 9). This is known as First School.

All three of the initial boroughs have schools, catering for ages between four and eighteen years old - the most famous of which is the Borough of Hanslope's Royal School of Hanslope, based in the nearby town of Buckingham. Nottingham Royal Academy is Marshdonia's newest school and boasts its best facilities. The Borough of Surrey is home to Redhill School. On 29 December 2007, a fourth school was opened in the Borough of Nottingham to suit those more likely to study at Nottingham River University - Nottingham River School. 11 January 2008 saw Marshdonia establish a fifth school. Built in Marshdonia's capital itself, Hanslope Full School gains more respect as it grows.

At First School, each child gains a sole qualification, pass or fail, in Mathematics, English, French, Science, Culture and Humanities. A fail can be overridden by a pass in a subsequent academic year, at which Second School may be attended. Very few students pass their First School Finals and opt not to go to Second School.



Second School normally provides for children from the ages of 14 to 18 (years D to A). Students are given one mark in each subject, this time ranging from 1 (excellent) to 8 (poor) - 6 is considered a pass. Students must study English and Mathematics, along with four other subjects - each weighted equally. Exams may be re-taken on two occasions.

At university, a wide range of subjects can be studied, but all last three years, unless you work for a Diploma, which is an additional two years. It is rare that a Second School student would gain entry to university without gaining a Second School 3 in each of his subjects. Students obtain either a Degree (marked Merit, Pass or Fail) or a Diploma, which is marked in the same way.

The Borough of Nottingham is renowned for its academic excellence - it is home to Marshdonia's only universities: Nottingham University was established on 26 December 2007 and specialises in traditional more academic subjects, such as Law and Mathematics. It is also home to KMC (King's Medical Centre), the country's only royally sanctioned hospital, which is home to the university's Medicine students. On 29 December 2007, a rival university was set up in the same city, Nottingham River University. This university tends to cater for vocational courses, such as Plumbing, but also the Arts.

Healthcare


Marshdonia spent a considerable amount of time without any form of state-funded healthcare. All healthcare had to be personally financed through insurance or one-off payments for appointments or operations. However, on 11 January 2008, King James I declared open the Royal Healthcare Service (RHS). The Department of Health regulates the RHS.

Marshdonia has five royally sanctioned clinics and one royally sanctioned hospital. These establishments provide for the vast majority of the public's medical needs. Hanslope was home to the first two clinics which were opened on 11 January 2008 to follow up the announcement of the establishment of the RHS. On 12 January 2008, two clinics were opened in the Borough of Surrey and one clinic in Nottingham. Marshdonia's royally sanctioned hospital, the King's Medical Centre (KMC), was also opened on 12 January 2008. It is attached to Nottingham University and provides facilities for those who study Medicine.

On 21 July 2008, King James I announced the long under-construction National Research Lab. Based in Nottingham, the complex provides a heavily subsidised government-funded initiative with the intent of discovering cures for common diseases among the population.

Infrastructure
The public transport systems in Marshdonia are becoming so well-developed to the extent that car usage figures and production are falling every month. A vast radial road network on Great Britain centres on Hanslope. The rail network centres itself on Nottingham, with the Nottingham-Hanslope Rail Route the most used in the country as Nottingham and Hanslope are the two largest cities, as well as the fact that the track runs on to the country's largest harbour in Dover.

Being largely an island nation, Marshdona has a considerable network of sea ports, with Dover as the largest harbour, accounting for 70% of the imports and exports that the country makes. Marshdonia's national airport, which had become dilapidated and crowded, received government sponsored renovation and an expansion project commenced on 12 August 2008.

The government recently claimed rights to the regulation of the Internet (on 21 June 2008). The move was made to prevent previously untraceable illegal practices on the web, but may infringe rights to privacy. The government does not, however, censor any information on the internet. A benefit of the government's acquisition is that the recently inefficient telephone lines used to relay information on the internet have been replaced by the high-speed optic fibres, delivering the information at a far quicker rate.

Armed Forces
The Army and Air Force are collectively known as the Royal Armed Forces of the Realm of Marshdonia (colloquially, The Forces). The commander-in-chief is the monarch, King James I, but the foreign ministry deals with most or all issues in practice.

The Marshdonian Royal Forces are charged with the responsibility of protecting Marshdonia's land, infrastructure and technological advances, as well as fighting wars sanctioned by the king. On 25 March 2008, an initiative was announced to make a career in The Forces financially viable. This resulted in plans to build five army training bases across the country. Called Royal Barracks, bases have so far been set up in Bristol, Newcastle and Brussels.



On 16 April 2008, it was announced five Missile Defence Systems would be built to protect the nation against missile attacks. Three satellites built on 9 June 2008 increased the effectiveness of outgoing missile attacks. On 4 July 2008, a further two were constructed. All ten of these structures' locations remain confidential information and are unknown.

Marshdonia fields an army of soldiers, which as of 1 August 2008 is estimated to stand at 34,389, plus a Royal Reserve boosting that figure to 25,695. Marshdonia also has 6,008 tanks and 50 cruise missiles in the Reserve, along with 60 active aircraft. Two aircraft are fielded in the Air Force - F-22 Raptor fighter aircraft and Tupolev Tu-160 bomber aircraft. On 20 August 2008, King James I announced that, on the eve of war, a Foreign Air Force Base had been built to supplement the current force, allowing for the sustainment of 20 further aircraft. The king, refuses to permit the development of nuclear weapons.

Rumours that Marshdonia might, in the future, field a navy have become more common since 1 August 2008 saw the construction of five shipyards and four drydocks. A shipyard would support the building and repair of a navy, in particular landing ships, frigates, submarines and aircraft carriers. The five shipyards are based in Glasgow, La Rochelle, Le Havre, Portsmouth and Rostock. More suited to the drydocks are corvettes, battleships, cruisers and destroyers. The drydocks are found in Arhus, Brest, Galway and Sunderland. A fifth drydock was built on 8 August 2008 in Amsterdam. Two naval academies were built on 8 August 2008 to train future navy officers - one in Nottingham, as part of Nottingham River University, and one in newly-captured Zürich. The development of a naval force was halted during the War of the Coalition as funds were diverted elsewhere.

Sport
Football is the most played sport in the country. The number two sport is cricket, followed by tennis, athletics, and then rugby. The government subsidises a large part of its Royal Accounts into sports.

Football
Marshdonia, like most other countries, has its own football association, the Marshdonian Football Association. It is by far the most played and watched sport in the country. Marshdonian sides have been very reluctant to take part in international competition. League of Marshdonia rules refuse permission to non-Marshdonian citizens to take part in the domestic competition. These two factors are thought to be a cause of the country's lack of international repute in the worldwide game.

The football league system is currently very simplistic, with just one sanctioned league of six. Admission to this league is relatively straight-forward if the high admission price is paid. Of these six sides, only Hanslope Hornets have played abroad, and with some success, winning the Transvaal-Marshdonia Super Cup and competing in Liga Mundo. The principal stadium is The Rec, Hanslope Hornets' home stadium.

Other Sports
The other main sports are not played professionally, but are played to a very high level at the two universities, drawing huge crowds in the Nottingham Varsity Series, where the university teams play off against each other in five sports, including football. The events take place bi-monthly in Varsity Week, the final week of every second month at The Rec. The exception is cricket, which, played over 5 days is played at The Green, also in Hanslope. None of these sports are played internationally.

Symbols

 * The flag of Marshdonia is the Royal Flag. It was created by the superimposition of the flags of the historical state of England (St George's Cross) onto a black cross. In the top-left quarter is the universal symbol of atheism, the official religion of Marshdonia.




 * The national anthem is, oddly, sung in Marshdonia's second language French. Its title Pour le Marshdonie, pour le Roi translate as For Marshdonia, for the King.


 * The national animal of Marshdonia is the cow. All cattle are officially owned by the king, although this rule is never enforced in practice. Two cattle are etched on all coins in Marshdonia.


 * Many of Marshdonia's national symbols are adorned with a beech tree, which represents the Great Forest of the Borough of Hanslope, that covers a huge area fifty miles south of the country's capital, Hanslope.


 * The Marshdonian motto is in hoc signo vinces, meaning "in this sign you will conquer".