Hyonan Republic

The Hyonan Republic, or Wönasmaa Tasavalta, better known as Hyonaland or Wönasmaa, is a republic in and the economic powerhouse of Andere. The nation spans 3,822,840 square kilometers dotted with a variety of castles and ancient cities in the south, and the sparsely-populated vast boreal forests with many lakes and fast-flowing rivers in the north. It consists of 25 counties and 4 territories. The Hyonan Republic shares land borders with the Great Republic of Athorya and the Skaristannic Empire. However, the nation shares maritime borders with Nohol. Along with possessing the northernmost and westernmost points in the world, their islands in the Faighia make Hyonaland stretch almost 10,000 kilometers from east to west. Along with this, the country has a 1500 kilometer wide claim to the continent of Befasia. 112,246,662 people call themselves Hyonan, with over 106 million of those being native speakers of the lingua franca also called Hyonan. The nation is governed from the Capitol Diamond in Saana Ana Capitol District, a sprawling borough in the megacity of Mogadijana that overlooks the Kohlmennen Inlet.

Around 60,000 years ago was when the first Proto-Bothnian people migrated north from Orvos and settled primarily along the banks of the Nouri River. This is considered the official beginning of the Bothnian Ethnolinguistic group, which became the dominant group throughout Hyonaland. They lived as hunter gatherers divided among many different Kingdoms until the late 8th century, when Filip of Rovaniemi led campaigns throughout southern Hyonaland, uniting kingdoms under the Kingdom of Rovaniemi, which would later be renamed to the Kingdom of Bothnia. The establishment of Port Mogadijana set the foundation for a complex society, as trading skyrocketed and Christianity, advanced government, and advanced architecture, including the building of many castles proceeded. Rapid development of science in the Kingdom of Bothnia included ideas for math and quadratics, cartography, and early theories for gravity and evolution that would inspire scientists centuries later. Along with this, rapid shipbuilding ignited the Hyonan Age of Exploration, which established an arctic trading empire. Throughout the 13th and 14th century Hyonan expanded north into the tundra of northern Hyonaland, but also colonized many islands in the Faighia Ocean, and parts of The Outer Union, Nohol, Uszal, and various other minor possessions. A lot of possessions would last into the 19th century. But in the early 15th century, Lukas Semasoko led revolutionaries who wanted an end to the Kingdom of Bothnia's feudal system. In 1433, King Austis of Bothnia was overthrown and replaced with the Kingdom of Hyonaland, or Wönasmaa Kekuivalta, a rebranded kindgom. Ironically, the new kingdom change very little and was actually less stable. Due to economic collapse, the 1450s saw the Sanguisa-Semasoko pact between the Kingdom of Orvos, done to secure economic benefit. The treaty was respected until 1972, when the Kingdom of Hyonaland fully ceased. Slow decolonization took place until the cultural revolution began between the 1940s and 1970s. Mass social change in Hyonaland led to social and scientific progress, including many colonies becoming independent and the introduction of democracy in the 1970s. After the constitution was ratified on March 5, 1972, Hyonaland experienced huge boosts in civil and economic development, including inspiring the constitutions of Lettonia and Orvos, and entering the Kohlmennen-Caeser compact with South Lettonia. Hyonaland was a competitive economy by the 1980s, and the value of the Goram drastically increased. Nowadays, they are one of the leaders of Diyar's democracies.

Hyonaland is a federal presidential constitutional republic with three branches of government and a bicameral legislature. It is a founding member of the Arctic Council, the Nordic League, and the Diyar Organization of Petroleum Exporters (DOPE). Along with this, they are a principal member of the Kohlmennen-Caesar Compact with Meridionalis Lettonia. They operate the Anderean Aerospace Defense Organization, or ANADO. The nation is a leading figure in science, especially in physics and space exploration, along with breakthroughs in technological advancement. They rank high in many indexes, including extremely high levels of democracy, education, civil liberties, socioeconomic equality, universal healthcare, and overall standard of living. It has very low levels of gun violence and perceived corruption. The Hyonan Republic is a leading competitor in the automotive industry, petroleum exports, and especially the technological industry where they compete with Doctors Orvos. Hyonaland owns many of the world's most popular tech and clothing brands, and they possess one of the strongest currencies in the world.

Etymology
The Hyonan name for Hyonaland, Wönasmaa, derives from the words "wönse" (castle), and "maa" (a suffix referring to land or country). This means that the country's official name means "castled land". Traders who knew none of the land nor the Bothnian people would commonly refer to the Bothnian Kingdoms by one of their main distinguishing features: the hundred of castles that dotted the landscape. The name was soon adopted into the Hyonan language mostly by merchants and peasants, who started calling the general area of southern Hyonaland "Wönasmaa". The name never became official, however. Most scholars between the 8th and 14th centuries, knowing about the Bothnian people, referred to the land as the Bothnian Kingdom. While the name Wönasmaa appeared on maps as early as the 10th century, the name was never widely used until the 1430s. Since the Semasoko family and their followers wanted to completely disown the name Bothnia due to its supposed affiliation with an oppressive and corrupt feudal kingdom, and since Semasoko's revolutionaries were mostly peasants, they named the land Wönasmaa. So, this name was later adopted when Lukas Semasoko founded the Kingdom of Hyonaland. Both the country and mainstream Bothnians were now known as Hyonaland and Hyonans. However, other smaller Bothnoyedic groups, such as the Sámi and Nakassa, kept their names.

Flag Symbolism
The primary flag of Hyonaland is used in all major instances of representation. It depicts a blue field with a white stripe down the middle, taking up slightly less than a third of the flag. In the center is a white circle taking up a bit more than half, and centered in the white circle are four stars, representing the four stars of Hastejobafanen, or the Hyonan principle of the four pillars of premium society: liberty, justice, equality, and wealth. The four stars are part of the Hastejoban constellation (the real life Southern Cross). The blue field represents the landscape encompassing Hyonaland, the water that surrounds the islands and the ice that covers the land. The white stripe and white circle represent peace and tranquility between the land and the people.

The secondary flag of the Hyonan Republic is the same as the flag of the Kingdom of Hyonaland. The flag depicts a blue field with a Hyonan Heraldic Lion in the center. Above the Lion are the four stars of Hastejobafanen. The blue field represents the Hyonan landscape, same as on the primary flag. The Hyonan Heraldic Lion is a royal symbol developed during the Hyonan Age of Exploration, the lion being a creature in Bothnian culture that represents exploration, discovery, and progress. It has a crown, representing the royal family of the former Kingdom, and is wielding a sword, representing the fierceness of the Hyonan people. Above it, the four stars of Hastejobafanen blesses the people, the land, and the core ideals of Hyonaland. The flag is rarely used as it is a symbol of the Kingdom of Hyonaland, and is slightly controversial, however the government has it listed as an official flag for traditional reasons.

Geography
Hyonaland is the world's northernmost country. Of world capitals, Mogadijana is also one of the farthest north. The distance from the southernmost point – Köörijja – to the northernmost – Ilkaurismán Point in Noatak– is 4,530 kilometers (2814 mi), while the distance from the westernmost point - also Ilkaurismán Point - to the easternmost - Öbör island - is 9,570 kilometers (5,947 mi). Hyonaland has about 168,000 lakes (of area larger than 500 m2 or 0.12 acres) and 179,000 islands. Pohjanmaa, whose geography was largely shaped by prehistorical glaciers, and the far north Tundra, which has many permafrost lakes, have the largest concentration of lakes in the country. Hyonaland has many outstretching islands in the Faighia Ocean, such as Öbör Island and Kouroteä, and the Matindi Ocean, notably Julutśelvo Island and the Ilkaurises. Much of the geography of Hyonaland is a result of the Ice Age. The glaciers were thicker and lasted longer in Hyonaland compared with the rest of Andere. Their eroding effects have left the landscape of eastern Hyonaland mostly flat with few hills and fewer mountains. However, there is still a notably large mountain range in the west creating the Hyonan Continental Divide. The country's highest point, Mt. Teppon at 3,401 meters (11,161 ft), is found in the Alatna Range in the west of the country. The retreating glaciers have left the land with morainic deposits in formations of eskers. These are ridges of stratified gravel and sand, running northwest to southeast, where the ancient edge of the glacier once lay. Having been compressed under the enormous weight of the glaciers, terrain in eastern Hyonaland is rising due to the post-glacial rebound. The effect is strongest around Pohjanmaa, where land steadily rises about 1 cm (0.4 in) a year. As a result, the old sea bottom turns little by little into dry land: the surface area of the country is expanding by about 7 square kilometres (2.7 sq mi) annually. Relatively speaking, Hyonaland is rising from the sea.

The landscape is covered mostly by coniferous taiga forests and fens, with little cultivated land. Of the total area, 8.7% is lakes, rivers, and ponds, and 78% is forest. The forest consists of pine, spruce, birch, and other boreal species. Hyonaland is the largest producer of wood in Andere and among the largest in the world. The most common type of rock is granite. It is a ubiquitous part of the scenery, visible wherever there is no soil cover. Moraine or till is the most common type of soil, covered by a thin layer of humus of biological origin. Podzol profile development is seen in most forest soils except where drainage is poor. Peat bogs are common in poorly drained areas.

Climate
The main factor influencing Hyonaland's climate is the country's geographical position around the arctic circle. In the Köppen climate classification, the majority of Hyonaland lands in a boreal zone, characterized by warm summers and freezing winters. Within the country, the temperateness varies considerably between the southern plains and coastal regions, defined by characteristics characteristics of both a maritime and a continental climate and the extreme north, and the extreme north, defines by an Arctic climate. Hyonaland, bordering the Bename Gulf, is warmed continuously by the Bizinki Sea Stream. The Bizinki Sea Stream combines with the moderating effects of the Bename Gulf and Kohlmennen Inlet and numerous inland lakes to explain the unusually warm climate compared with other regions that share the same latitude.

Winters in southern Hyonaland (when mean daily temperature remains below 0 °C or 32 °F) are usually about 100 days long. In the northern inland the snow typically covers the land from about late November to April, and on the coastal areas such as Mogadijana, snow often covers the land from late December to early March. Even in the south, the harshest winter nights can see the temperatures fall to −24 °C (−12 °F) although in the southern plains, temperatures below −24 °C (−12 °F) are very rare. Climatic summers (when mean daily temperature remains above 10 °C or 50 °F) in Hyonaland last from about late May to mid-September, and in the inland south, the warmest days of July can reach over 35 °C (95 °F). Although the vast majority of Hyonaland lies on the taiga belt, the southern regions are often classified as hemiboreal.

In northern Finland, particularly in Alatnamaa and Noatak, the winters are long and cold, while the summers are warm but short. On the most severe winter days, the north can see the temperature fall to −45 °C (−49 °F). The winter of the north lasts for about 200 days with permanent snow cover from about mid-October to early May. Summers in the north are quite short, only two to three months, but can still see maximum daily temperatures above 25 °C (77 °F). The far north of Hyonaland has Arctic tundra, and Alpine tundra can be found at the peak of many mountains.

The Hyonan climate is suitable for farming only in the southernmost regions, while the northern regions are suitable for animal husbandry. Hyonaland also has mass amounts of berry production throughout the country.

A bit over half of Hyonaland's territory lies within the Arctic Circle and the midnight sun can be experienced for more days the farther north one travels. At Hyonaland's northernmost point, the sun does not set for 83 consecutive days during summer and does not rise at all for 61 days during winter.

Biodiversity and Conservation
Phytogeographically, Hyonaland mostly lies in the Circumboreal Region within the Boreal Kingdom. According to the WWF, the territory of Hyonaland can be subdivided into three ecoregions: the Hyonan taiga, nixed forests, and Montane Birch forest and grasslands. Taiga covers most of Hyonaland from northern regions of southern provinces to Alatnamaa. In the southeast, the landscape is characterized by mixed forests, that are more typical in the rest of Andere. However, most of the southeast and other populated areas are cultivated plains. A third of Hyonaland's land area originally consisted of moorland, about half of this area has been drained for cultivation over the past centuries. In the extreme north of Hyonaland, near the tree line and Arctic Ocean, Montane Birch forests are common.

Similarly, Hyonaland has a diverse and extensive range of fauna. There are at least seventy native mammalian species, 298 breeding bird species, over 95 fish species, and 11 reptile and frog species present today, many migrating from neighbouring countries thousands of years ago. Large and widely recognized wildlife mammals found in Hyonaland are the harp seal, the national animal of Hyonaland, the brown bear, grey wolf, arcitc fox, musk oxen, and elk. Three of the more striking birds are the little auk, the national bird of Hyonaland; the Western capercaillie, a large, black-plumaged member of the grouse family; and the Anderean eagle-owl. The latter is considered an indicator of old-growth forest connectivity, and has been declining because of landscape fragmentation. Around 24,000 species of insects are prevalent in Finland some of the most common being hornets with tribes of beetles such as the Onciderini also being common. The most common breeding birds are the willow warbler, common chaffinch, and redwing. Of some ninety-five species of freshwater fish, the northern pike, salmon, trout, and others are plentiful. Faighian salmon remains the favourite of fly rod enthusiasts.

Counties and Territories
Hyonaland consists of 25 counties (noul) and 4 territories (lillouni). Counties and territories have jurisdiction over a geographical area and share sovereignty over that area with the federal government. The counties are subdivided into districts and cities, but territories may not be subdivided. In order for a territory to become a county, it needs at least 100,000 residents. The main tasks of the administrative divisions are setting local laws not covered by federal law, regional planning, and development of enterprise and education. In addition, the public health services are organized based on counties and territories. Each county and territory has their own republican government set up by the county or territory. Each division also has a state Employment and Economic Development Centre which is responsible for the local administration of labor, agriculture, fisheries, forestry, and entrepreneurial affairs.

Counties are apportioned constituencies proportional to their population which gather in the House of Constituents. Each county may decide how those constituents are elected, so long as they send the necessary numbers. They can choose from drawing single-member first-past-the-post districts, single-member instant runoff voting districts, multi-member ranked choice voting districts, multi-member approval voting districts, a county-wide proportional vote, or a county-wide approval voting system. Territories are grouped under one constituency which must be single-member first-past-the-post.

Population
The Hyonan Census Authority reported 112,246,662 residents as of 2023. According to the Authority's Population Clock, on January 1, 2023, the Hyonan population had a net gain of one person every 300 seconds, about 288 people per day, or 105,120 people per year. In 2022, 50% of Hyonans age 18 and over were married, 5% were widowed, 10% were divorced, and 35% had never been married. In 2022, Hyonaland had a total fertility rate stood at 1.64 children per woman but a low rate (13%) of children living in single-parent households.

The Hyonan Republic has a relatively homogenous population, and is commonly referred to as a because of it; 94.6 percent, or about 106.2 million people, identify as Hyonan. Mainstream ethnic Hyonans are considered to be ancestors of communities settled on the south bank of the Nouri River in modern-day Köörijja. Other Bothnoyedic ethnic groups make up 4.1%, 4.6 million, of Hyonaland's population, and include ethnicities such as the Sámi, Nakassa, Nganasan, and Köörijja, each of which have languages with regional status, although their cultures are considered vulnerable. Other ethnicities account for the remaining 1.3% of the population, or 1.5 million people. Most of them are immigrants from South Lettonia, Nohol, or other allies.

As of January 2023, there were almost 1.6 million immigrants and Hyonan-born children of immigrants in Hyonaland, accounting for 1.4% of the overall population. In 2022, out of the Hyonan foreign-born population, some 61% (958,000) were naturalized citizens, 23% (361,000) were lawful permanent residents, 10% (157,000) were temporary lawful residents, and 7% (110,000) were unauthorized immigrants.

Language
Hyonan is the de facto national language of the Hyonan Republic. Although the establishment of a national language is restricted by the constitution, some laws—such as Hyonan naturalization requirements require basic knowledge of Hyonan due it's status as a lingua franca throughout the country. Plus, most counties and territories have declared Hyonan as an official language. Seven counties and all four territories have recognized local/indigenous languages in addition to Hyonan including Köörija, Lijava, Kiksymi, Kyyrysdys, Gaamamaa, Viporä, Pohjanmaa, Väskylyymästelymäne, Alatnamaa, Noatak, and Kouroteä, all of which have significant populations of Bothnoyedic groups, including Köörija, Makassa, Sámi, and Nganasan.

According to the Hyonan Census Authority, in 2022 some 106 million people (out of the total Hyonan population of 112 million) spoke only Hyonan at home. More than 4 million spoke some Bothnoyedic language at home. Other languages spoken at home by the remaining 1.5 million people include Latin, French, Skaristani, Arabic, Standard Caxalautian/Tsaha, and other indigenous Palenan languages. The most widely taught foreign languages in the Hyonan Republic, in terms of enrollment numbers from kindergarten through university undergraduate education, are Latin, Caxalautian, and Arabic.

Religion
A large variety of faiths have historically flourished within the country. According to the International Faiths Survey, the Hyonan Republic is more secular than the median country. Until the 1990s, the country was a substantial outlier among other highly developed countries, uniquely combining a high level of wealth and development with being a country with one of the highest paganism rates, although this has lessened significantly since then. Hyonaland is the most pagan country in the world, with 46% of the population reporting following either Maakeism, a traditional religion, or pagan Satanism which is followed by a mall sliver of Hyonaland's population. This coexists with The population's roughly 12.2 million (10.9% of the population) Christians, most of whom follow the Hyonan Orthodox Church. Studies from 2022 found that about 80% of Hyonans believe in some sort of higher deity or God, 29% report praying on a daily basis, 34% report that religion plays a very important role in their lives, and 31% report attending religious services weekly or near weekly. In January 2023, 59% of Hyonan report "seldom" or "never" attending religious services. In, around 32% of Hyonans attended at least once or twice a month.

Hyonan paganism plays a huge role on culture and religion in Hyonaland. Maakeism, a monotheistic and spiritualistic pagan religion, wins the plurality of Hyonaland's population with 44.76 million followers. Traditional pagan religions, while significantly less popular, are followed by about 6 million people, most of whom are ethnic minorities in the west and north. Social progressivism and individuality, which play a significant role politically and culturally, are often linked to high rates of spirituality in Hyonaland. By contrast, religion plays the least important role in urban areas especially in the south and east.

Around 42% of Hyonans describe themselves as being atheist, agnostic, or personally spiritual yet not devout. Membership in a house of worship fell from 58% in 1999 to 37% in 2023, much of the decline related to the Individualistic revolution and with many religions shifting towards personal and individualistic means of worship. Membership also fell among those who identified with a specific religious group. Trust in "a church or organized religion" has declined significantly since the 1970s.

The Hyonan Constitution guarantees the free exercise of religion and forbids Astekantenen from passing laws respecting its establishment.

Education
The education system of the Hyonan Republic is widely considered to be one of the best in the world. Hyonan public education is provided basic funding by the federal government and operated and restricted by county, territory, and local governments. In most divisions, children are required to attend preschool and "creative play" school once they are 4 years old, and they are required to start attending school from the age of seven (beginning with first grade) until they turn 17 (generally bringing them through tenth grade), where they must choose to stay in school, or choose to go to the military, public service, or a technical training school. Most students move on to an extra year of high school education. Of Hyonans 25 and older, 93% graduated from high school, 66% attended further education, 27.2% earned a bachelor's degree, and 16.6% earned graduate degrees. The basic literacy rate is just under 100%.

There are no private schools for primary and secondary education, however there are a variety of private universities. Hyonaland has nearly completely eliminated standardized testing with students only have to take one test before they graduate. Most learning is hands-on and independent with there being, for the most part, very relaxed regulation on curricula. A lot of the world's top public and private universities, as listed by various ranking organizations, are in Hyonaland. There are also local community colleges with generally more open admission policies, shorter academic programs, and lower tuition. The Hyonan Republic, while they have one of the best education systems in the world, spend less on education per student than the worldwide median, spending roughly $9,908 per year on public elementary and secondary school students in the 2016–2017 school year. As for public expenditures on higher education, Hyonaland's per student spending is roughly the same as the world average.

Largest Cities
According to the 2020 census, roughly 83% of Hyonans lived in an urban or suburban area, of which 38.66% lived in the 20 largest metropolitan areas in Hyonaland.