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 and Izstanna. 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.

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.