Nation/Imperial Royal Union

The Second Atheistic Empire of Imperial Royal Union Imperial Kunglig Förbund 御皇联合帝国 Imperial Royal Union
Motto: "Quod status omnium, et inscrutabile"
Anthem: "La Marseillaise"
Region		The Crown Federation of Recon
Capital and largest city		Port Imperial
Official languages		English
Recognised national languages		Danish, English, Mandarin & Swedish
Demonym		Imperialean
Government		Absolute Monarchy
-	Emperor	Thales XIII
-	Consul-Dexter	Pelee von Fleury
-	Consul-Sinister	Ambroise Blagnac
Legislature		Grand Assembly of the State
-	Upper house	Emperor's Cabinet
-	Lower house	Estates General
History
-	Republic	1442
-	First Empire	1453
-	Pelogrinnean Occupation	1789
-	Second Empire	1853
Area
-	Total	1,417,822 km2 547,424 sq mi
-	Water (%)	34%
Population
-	2015 estimate	3.573 billion
-	Density	1815/km2 4,700.8/sq mi
GDP (PPP)		2014 estimate
-	Total	NSD 162.3 trillion
-	Per capita	NSD 45,412
GDP (nominal)		2014 estimate
-	Total	NSD 222.2 trillion
-	Per capita	NSD 62,208
Gini (2015)		0.431 low
HDI (2015)		0.882 very high
Currency		Imperial Royale Elite (₢ε) (IRE)
Time zone		Imperialia Standard Time (UTC+8 (Western), +9 (Eastern))
Date format		dd/mm/yyyy
Drives on the		right
Calling code		+478
ISO 3166 code		IRU
Internet TLD		.iru

Imperial Royal Union, officially the Second Atheistic Empire of the Imperial Royal Union of Imperialia, is an absolute monarchy comprising of territory within the Crown Federation of Recon, on mainland Imperialia and its surroundings islands. Imperial Royal Union also has several overseas territories, mainly protectorates, principalities and duchies under the protection of the nation.

Imperial Royal Union has a been a major power ever since the declaration of the First Empire of the Imperial Royal Union of Imperialia under Emperor Thales III, and even more so in the prominent wars of Emperor Thales XII and Emperor Thales XIII which saw the nation's massive and advanced armies conquer territories abroad which have been absorbed into the nation as its protectorates. Imperial Royal Union thus reached its golden age during the Industrial Revolution.

Etymology

Imperialia is the true name of the nation, since the mainland where it was founded on was called Imperialia. However, due to the significant collection of protectorates and overseas territories added during the reign of the ruling House of Thales, the name Imperial Royal Union was used to signify the union of its colonial territories and the homeland, ruled under the power of the royalty, which till now, remains in the hands of the Thalean Monarchy.

History

Republic

First Empire

Pelogrinnean Occupation

The Pelogrinnean Occupation was the result of the Second Pelogrinnean War, in which Pelogrinnean forces swept down from Alevion region, then a region controlled by Pelogrinne, effectively conquering much of the mainland. Historians argue that the Second Pelogrinnean War was the result of the First Pelogrinnean War that left Pelogrinne jealous and eager to seek revenge. The Pelogrinnean Occupation also marked the death of Thales IX, who was already too frail due to sickness to intervene in national affairs. At that time, the Consuls had not existed yet and there were no constitutional powers allowing for a regency. The lack of leadership brought down half of Imperial Royal Union by 1852.

The Pelogrinnean Occupation was one of the bloodiest periods in Imperial Royal Union’s history. About 350,000 people were enslaved and tortured, some historians even believe that another 300,000 people were massacred. The decisive battle in the Second Pelogrinnean War was at Cornwallis Pass in the Alevion region, in which the North Army of Imperial Royal Union led by Prince George, nephew of the dying Thales IX, overstepped into Cornwallis Pass, in which more than 200,000 casualties from both sides were a result of three days of endless fighting.

Second Empire

The coronation of Rothsanna I in 1853 marked the start of the Second Empire. On that very day, radical changes swept across the entire nation. The state religion was abandoned and completely abolished, and the empire branded itself “Atheistic”, a new government was installed, and complete changes made to fiscal policy. Rothsanna I made one of the riskiest yet well-made decisions of her time by diverting large amounts of funding into military expenditure and depleted the treasury. Although met with widespread opposition, coordinated efforts by the Imperial Grandé Armeé successfully invaded Pelogrinne in the Third Pelogrinnean War. The defeat of Pelogrinnean forces in 1854 put an end to all possible expansionist threats facing the nation, and added on to the Second Empire many valuable possessions and territories. The Treaty of Pelos of 1862 saw the capitulation of Pelogrinne to become a protectorate under Imperial Royal Union.

Geography

Climate

Climate in Imperial Royal Union is relatively cool compared to others countries. The highest temperatures ever recorded never exceeded 30ºC, and the lowest can reach around 9ºC.

Rainfall is relatively moderate from January to May, with occasional thunderstoms or showers. June and July have been seen as the driest months of the year, and very windy, with strong winds and minimal rain, all pointing towards the signs on the oncoming August Monsoon. The August Monsoon in August is caused by pressure buildups all over Imperial Royal Union, where the relatively low pressure in the mainland attracts unpredictably strong winds into the nation. The strong winds usually bring in cumulonimbus clouds all over the ocean and into the nation, which is then unleashed into the nation during the August Monsoon. All the cities in the North Islandus and South Islandus Provinces and the Imperial Royal Union Administrative Territory are the hardest hit places in the entire nation, due to the extremely strong torrential downpour caused by the monsoon. Flooding is also a common problem which has been easily curbed after years of development. Air accidents are common in the past during the August Monsoon. Airports generally restrict air traffic during the August Monsoon due to wind conditions that have a probability of reaching speeds of a hurricane. An advantage of the strong wind conditions is that the wind farms around the nation generate twice the amount of energy for many citizens that would prefer to stay at home to avoid the continuous thunderstorm that occurs for the entire month.

Imperial Royal Union Average Temperatures

Environment

Administrative Divisions

Provinces

The Imperial Royal Union Administrative Territory, is the province where the capital is located, and is controlled directly by the Supreme Government in the capital. It is commonly abbreviated as IRUAT and is also the smallest province throughout the nation. However, it is one of the largest economic contributors of the nation.

Political Division

Each province is managed by a Provincial Government, which is only in charge of executing policies made by the Supreme Government back in Port Imperial. The Provincial Government's secondary responsibility is also to collect feedback that will influence policy in the Supreme Government. Cities are managed by the Provincial Government, as such, the police forces are usually named after the province, for example, Riley Police Force for Riley Province, although the Port Imperial Police Force is the exception named after the capital city for the province of IRUAT. Each Province has its own Head of Province, known as the Viceroy, and is a figurehead that represents the Emperor in provincial events. Provincial Governments are composed of Governor-Generals, and each city has up to 5 Governor-Generals to manage the city as well as 20 Constituent Deputies that will represent the interests of the population in the Estates General. There are no further sub-level municipal governments for each city.

Protectorates & Overseas Territories

Governance

Government

The Government comprises of 3 branches, the Office of the Emperor, holding absolute power over all other branches, the Higher Chambers of the State and the Grand Assembly of the State. The Emperor holds absolute power, although the only exception is an above 90% consensus in the Estates General along with a veto from every single Permanent Secretary, Cabinet Minister and the 2 Consuls, which will then override the Emperor's veto regardless. However, the government cannot impeach the Emperor regardless of the situation. The Emperor can only abdicate, but must name a successor before doing so.

Office of the Emperor

Higher Chambers of the State

The Higher Chambers of the State are further sub-divided into the Consular Chambers and the Viceregal Chambers.

The Consular Chambers are the offices of the Consul-Dexter and Consul-Sinister, who assist the Emperor in being the Head of State & Government. The Consul-Sinister is in charge of all foreign affairs, while the Consul-Dexter is in charge of all affairs back home, although their responsibilities are not just limited to that. A consistent veto from the 2 Consuls against a policy made by the Legislative Corps are as equally powerful as a veto from the Emperor. However, a veto from the 2 Consuls can be dismissed by the Emperor.

Consisting of 9 Viceroys appointed by the Emperor to each province, the Viceroys represent the Emperor as the Head of Province, although they hold only advisory powers and no executive power at all. Viceroys are considered as a check to the Consuls’s powers, although they act more as figureheads in each province and hardly get in the way of the government. As such, the Viceregal Chambers do not take up any significant legislative role.

Grand Assembly of the State

The Grand Assembly of the State evolved from the previous Legislative Assembly, from a bicameral legislature to a tricameral legislature. The new Legislative Corps, Estates General and the reformed Emperor's Cabinet were criticised and widely acknowledged as bureaucratic barriers preventing those with a lack of popular support from challenging the government. The new system was also designed to ensure that the Estates-General were unable to interfere with the affairs of the Legislative Corps, allowing for a faster implementation of any legislation. The Imperial Secretariat is a joint branch under the Emperor's Cabinet and Legislative Corps, and plays an instrumental role in coordinating inter-ministry and inter-branch activities.

The Emperor’s Cabinet is a purely advisory council that advises the Emperor on affairs of the state. The Emperor’s Cabinet is elected via a single transferrable vote system, in which the elected officials are counted as Cabinet Ministers. However, due to the influence carried by Cabinet Ministers, they do hold some executive power within their own Ministries. There is no Prime Minister or Premier as the head of government is referred to as the Emperor, which is a significant change from the older system. This also complemented the abolishment of political parties, now that there is no longer any need to include party objectives into the government.

The Sybarius Palace in Port Imperial, situated opposite the South Gate of Grande Palais. The Legislative Corps occupy the upper floors of the building while the Estates General occupy the lower floors.

The Estates General is a consultative council that the Emperor consults with before making policies. A grand total of 20 Constituent Deputies are elected from each city via single transferrable voting, in which these 20 Constituent Deputies will convene on the 14th of every month to discuss the greater concerns regarding the state; otherwise, the Constituent Deputies simply submit petitions and evaluative papers to the Emperor’s Cabinet for review. The Estates General has no other legislative power and therefore cannot meet directly with the Legislative Corps. The Estates General serve as a check on the Emperor's absolute powers, although in reality, have no actual power by itself to counter the Emperor.

The Legislative Corps comprises of 160 Legislator-Generals that are fully appointed by both Consuls and the Emperor. In addition, the General Secretaries at each Ministry are part of the Legislative Corps. The Legislative Corps are the only independent legislative branch of the government that works on direct order of the Emperor by drafting policies according to the petitions processed by the Emperor’s Cabinet.

The Imperial Secretariat, informally known as the 4th Department (derived from the 4 main doors leading into the Imperial Secretariat building in the Grande Palais), is a separate branch within the Legislative Corps and the Emperor's Cabinet that consists of all the State Secretaries, General Secretaries and Permanent Secretaries of each Ministry. Each Ministry has a State Secretary, in charge of executive affairs, General Secretaries, in charge of legislative affairs in cooperation with the Legislative Corps and Permanent Secretaries, in charge of administrative duties.

Law

Foreign Relations

Military

The military is separated into four branches - the Imperial Grandé Armée, Greater Imperial Navy, Royal Air Arms and Greater Arms of Imperial Royal Union Strategic Command (GAIRUSC), all of which are integrated into the nation's defense system. The Greater Imperial Navy is the largest branch of all, comprising of one the largest regional fleets with aircraft carriers and even the obsolete battleship, while the Royal Air Arms is the smallest, yet the most technologically advanced branch due to the nation's investment into the aerospace industry. GAIRUSC was only formed after World War Two, in response to the development of nuclear weapons, as an effective control centre to direct the nation's ballistic missile defenses against incoming nuclear weapons.

The entire military, officially known as the Greater Arms of Imperial Royal Union, is directly managed by the Ministry of Aggression & Defense (MAD), which is directly controlled by the Emperor. Imperial Royal Union is recognised as a nuclear state, in which intelligence analysts from worldwide believe that the nation has about 300-600 operationally-ready nuclear warheads. Despite Imperial Royal Union's nuclear capability, nuclear testing had long ended in 1962, after 11 successful attempts and 3 failed attempts in the open sea, and the nation has never employed nuclear weapons in any of its wars. In practice, the position of the Chief Commander of the Department of WMDs is usually seen as an undesirable post for any Marshall in the military as it serves no practical use except for the caretaking of such weapons.

Every year a ceremonial parade consisting of marching regiments from the military and civilian services will take place on 2 December to commemorate the national day in Port Imperial.

Government Finance

Economy

Science and Technology

Transport

75% of Imperial Royal Union is accessible by paved roads, and the uncovered areas are parts of the nation's nature reserves and national parks. About only 40% of the nation's population has ownership of a private car, and only 15% own two cars.

Public transport is a considerable need for every single citizen. As most train and bus fares are heavily subsidised, citizens only need to pay about ₢ε 0.30 for a trip around any city. Citizens pay for their transport fares through the use of their identification card, which also serves as their transport pass, which allows citizens access to every public transport system in every city. The transport fares are usually paid at the end of the month through a citizen's bank account. Transport provider Metrolink manages all train services in all of the cities, while bus, tram and taxi services are provided for by other transport companies, in which the state has a major share in all of these companies. Intercity train services on the mainland are owned by high speed rail company SKT High Speed Rail, which also operates a maglev route along the banks of the Imperius River.

Sea transport only serves its role for international shipping and maritime trade, which is only for international destinations. Cruises are also common since the majority of cruiselines focus on the natural rock formations in the seas around Port Imperial.

Port Imperial International Airport and San Porto International Airport are the only two airports open for international air travel in the nation. Only a few airlines, mainly regional ones, are permitted to use San Porto International Airport. Port Imperial International Airport is the main international air hub in the nation, and is a global aviation hub for the entire world. Passenger traffic exceeded that of London Heathrow's in 2011. Served by 9 terminals, Port Imperial International Airport is also a popular transit hub amongst many international and business travellers. The growing aviation industry in the nation also centres around Port Imperial, providing MRO services for multiple airlines. Grande Royale Airways is the national flag carrier and operates more than 160 daily flights out of Port Imperial International Airport. Smaller domestic airlines, where some are also subsidiaries of Grande Royale Airways, provide domestic air transport within the various domestic airports within Imperial Royal Union.

Energy

In 2012, 20% of all of Imperial Royal Union's energy came from renewable energy sources, while the remainder relied on fossil fuels and natural gas. In 2 years, the government has transformed the energy scene in the nation. Port Imperial now relies on renewable energy from the wind farms offshore, solar panels and tidal barriers to account for 80% of its energy. Imported natural gas accounts for the remainder.

The Imperial Royal Union Green Energy Commitment of 2014 transformed all street lighting to be powered by solar energy and wind energy, reducing the reliance on fossil fuels. 50% of the mainland relies on nuclear energy generated from the Midvalla Nuclear Power Station, and the government is expected to fund the construction of more nuclear plants in the mainland. It is said that a reserve grid will be completed by 2020, and will run fully on renewable energy only. By 2025, Imperial Royal Union is expected to rely on wind power for 30% of all of their energy needs, alongside 10% by solar energy and hydroelectricity, 50% by nuclear energy and the remainder on natural gas. The reserve grid will be up and running by that time. 2014 is a considerable benchmark for the nation, where diesel and its related products were all banned, leaving drivers on the road with only petrol as a choice.

Biofuel is also prominent in the nation's aviation industry. In 2011, national flag carrier Grande Royale Airways mixed all their aviation fuels with 25% of biofuel, and in 2013, subsidies were introduced for electric cars and biofuel-mixed petrol to promote the use of cleaner energies.

Demographics

Culture