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The Republic of Mesonyktia - The Fighters, the Flawed, and the Faithful; Voted "Best Prutenia" 364 years running!
Topic Started: Mar 11 2013, 02:15 AM (884 Views)
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We Prutons fear God and nothing else in the world. -- National Motto of the Republic

Formal Name: Republic of Mesonyktia
Common Name: Mesonyktia
Demonym: Mesonyktian
Official Language:: High Prut
Capital: Sommerende

Largest Cities By Population:
Sommerende -- 12,310,692
Eisenschmiede -- 8,614,189
Alttor -- 7,982,471
Schiffsrast -- 5,912,361
Letzelicht -- 2,278,162
Altherd -- 1,709,412
Weizensitz -- 1,403,981
Handelhausen -- 1,329,407
Schmelzerklause -- 1,128,902
Gartentor -- 843,109
Trost -- 542,764

Population: 108,431,128
Population Breakdown:
-Age: 0-15 (22%), 15-65 (60%), 65+ (18%)

-Gender: Male (50%), Female (50%)

-Ethnicity: Pruton (99.2%), All Others (0.8%)

-Religious Affiliation:
Ragnaist Heliandist: 54%
Orthodox Heliandist: 31%
Agnostic/Not Actively Religious: 14%
Other/Not Otherwise Listed: 1%

-Socioeconomic Class: Poor (22%), Middle (73%), Rich (5%)

"Our Prut neighbors say the inherent vice of unfettered capitalism is the unequal sharing of blessings. This is true. However, they conveniently overlook the fact that the inherent virtue of their Socialist and command leanings is the equal sharing of miseries."

GDP: $5,182,716,914,000 NSD
GDPpC: $47,797 NSD
Economic Model: Unencumbered Capitalism
Currency: Western Thaler
Labor Force: 70,480,233 (65%)

Government budget as % of nominal GDP: ~20% 1036543382800
Breakdown of the Government Budget:
- Welfare and Healthcare 20%
- Education 30%
- Defense 27.5% 285049430270
- Law & Order 13%
- Other 10%

Major Industries: Banking, Information Technology, Aeronautic Engineering, Coal Mining, Iron Mining, Metallurgy, Uranium Mining, Weapons Manufacturing
Import Reliant: Oil, Precious Metals

Government: Representative Democratic Republic
Head of Government: the Patrician
Head of State: the Hochmeister
Executive Branch: the Office of the Right Honorable Patrician of the Republic
Legislative Branch: the Althing
Judicial Branch: the Monitors Nine
Articles of Governance: Mesonyktian Constitution, adopted 2776 SH
-The Constitution is considered one of the culminating moments of the Enlightenment in Mesonyktia, as the nation embraced a wide slew of Enlightenment ideals in the formation of a new government and republic. The Mesonyktian Knights were highly praised for peacefully relinquishing political power and control of the nation to civilian authorities, although the Order would continue to exercise a great deal of influence as the definitive military leadership of the Republic. The Hochmeister of this era would later be canonized as St. Heinrich the Magnificent for his military prowess and deference to the political will of the Mesonyktian people in the adoption of the Constitution.

State Religion: United Heliandist Church as Illuminated by St. Ragna the Lioness
Patron Saint: St. Ragna the Lioness
National Anthem: The Faithful Hussar
National Animal: The Lion
Other National Symbols: The Sunset, Sunflowers
-Sunset: Mesonyktia is the former West Prutenia, and as such has been at times associated with sunsets versus modern Neo Prutenia's sunrise
-Sunflowers: In the opening days of the Forty Years War, Prutons living in the border towns would declare their allegiance for the Ragnaist Counter-Reformationists by wearing a small sprig of Sunflower petals pinned to their clothes, as the flower is synonymous with Sommerende and Ragna's birthplace. After the war the Sunflower became a national symbol of the new Mesonyktian nation.
National Motto: Wir Prutonen fürchten Gott aber sonst nichts in der Welt (translation: "We Prutons fear God and nothing else in the world.")

Landmark Works of Art: "Morning on the River Crescere" (painting), "Raven and Lion" (set of tapestries)
Famous National Landmarks: Kirchsitz, the Eternity Gate, Castle of the Four Winds, the Alabaster Bridge, Teufelschmiede, Mount Skyward

-Prachtmünster: a Heliandist Cathedral of Light
-Eternity Gate: massive gate covering the harbor mouth of Sommerende, with the left-hand gate door showing God creating the world and casting forth the comet that would become the Heavenfall event, and the right-hand gate door showing a Dies Irae landscape at the end of time
-Castle of the Four Winds: a Castle built on top of/burrowing into a small mountain, that has been riddled with carefully placed tunnels to turn the entire mountain into Kosmopol's largest pipe organ
-Alabaster Bridge: a gleaming white bridge over a river that crosses from Prut territory into Mesonyktian territory, built as a token of the connection between the former enemies. Located in Baselburg.
-Daemon's Forge: a former foundry and arsenal built by the Mesonyktian Knights adjacent to a volcano, using geothermal vents for a supply of heat and hot water
-Mount Skyward: very large mountain

Size of Armed Forces: 455,000 (0.47%)
Size of Strategic Arsenal:: 1,900 warheads, various forms

Top 5 Institutions of Higher Learning:
-University of Sommerende (oldest, most prestigious)
-Our Lady of the Lions University (Kosmopol-famous medical school and life sciences research)
-Alttor Agricultural & Mechanical University (famous engineering program)
-Kirchsitz Academy (central theological college of the Ragnaist Church, storied for rigorous liberal arts training)
-University of Eisenschmiede (prestigious business and economic programs)

Famous Mesonyktian Figures of Various Fields:

Academics & Culture:

Leon Luca von Sydow (2633-2665?) -- known simply as "The Master" in Mesonyktian art circles, von Sydow was one of the great masters of oil and canvas in the Early Modern age of Kosmopol. He turned out a limited but dazzling portfolio of works, with his landmark masterpiece being "Morning on the River Crescere," one of the most recognizable portraits in the Mesonyktian art canon. Sydow also cut a rather dashing and Byronic figure, serving as a Mesonyktian Knight in his 20's before becoming a Freebooter, traveling across Kosmopol to engage in struggles he believed in or found compelling, something he attributed to coming of age in the last stages of the War of the Siblings. He disappeared abruptly in 2665 SH while traveling in Hesperia in the company of a Raionese noblewoman he was rumored to have seduced.

Mathias Aumann (2701-2774) -- illustrious symphonic composer, with over 35 four-movement symphonies, 2 operas, and over a dozen concertos each for violin and piano to his name. Considered the "Titan of Classical Music" by Mesonyktians, Aumann was famous for his thunderous, powerful fourth movements, going against the established tradition of using the third movement as the emotional apex. Aumann was also infamous for his reputation among polite society, often ignoring social etiquette when mixing with the elite of his day. He also championed the use of the piano as a "showpiece" instrument, leading to the downfall of the harpsichord in his native land.

Johanna Mayr (2840-2904) -- a beloved Mesonyktian novelist who often set her works in the Mesonyktian countryside or among the commonfolk. Her prose is noted for having an extremely dry and sarcastic wit, extremely clean and without unnecessary ostentation, and her habit of making obscure allusions or analogies. Her novel "Emma the Thief" is held up as a standard of mechanical precision among both Mesonyktian literary critics and writers. The Mayr Award is named in her honor and is awarded by the University of Sommerende to the "best" writen works published in Kosmopol.

Otto Sternberger (2930-3011) -- considered the first and greatest Mesonyktian science fiction writer, and a founding father of the genre. Sternberger's stories often dealt with themes of humanity, and the loss or validation thereof in the face of future challenges and technologies. His vision of the future was one where dehumanization was the greatest threat and fear, and often featured devices such as androids, reincarnation via stored memories, and other ideas centered on examining the concept of the soul. Sternberger was also noted to be a deeply spiritual man, and unlike many contemporary writers, he experienced a good deal of recognition and financial success in his own lifetime. Quite a few of his novels and short stories would find their way into Prut cinema screens during the second half of the 30th century.

Felix Mahlau (2974-) -- founder and lead guitarist of the band Villain Asylum, and the creator of Symphonirock, the predominant form of Mesonyktian pop music over the last 2 decades. The genre consists of a four or five man rock band being backed by a symphony orchestra, alternating between standard radio-length songs and full-length concerto pieces. Their debut album "Thanks for Playing" set a sales landmark inside Mesonyktia, and established Mahlau and Villain Asylum as a dynamite musical act and concert ticket.

Science & Economics:

Elias Tauber (2707-2802) -- influential Mesonyktian economist and philosopher, who coined the term "Unencumbered Capitalism" and laid out his proposal for it as an economic system. Tauber argued in his seminal work "The Acquisition of Wealth" that an "unfettered" market was the best and most efficient force for regulating economic growth and development. He also argued that governments exist only to maintain the sanctity of people's property and lives from unlawful seizure or harm, and that over-regulation of financial matters would only slow growth and frustrate business development. His philosophy was deeply influential in the economic history of his home nation.

Steffen Landauer (2803-2899) -- perhaps the greatest Robber Baron of the Mesonyktian industrial movement, Landauer was in his day one of single richest men in the world. He built the monolithic Standard Steel corporation from a single workshop into one of the largest, wealthiest companies in Kosmopol, owning a virtual monopoly on the lucrative Mesonyktian steel trade for over a decade in his prime. He was infamous for his vicious business practices concerning rivals, often selling product at-cost or even at a loss if trying to drive competitors out of a particular market, before rapidly increasing the retail price after securing or cornering said market. He owned a quartet of opulent mansions across Mesonyktia and Neo Prutenia, living as a virtual king in the second half of his life.

Caspar Seyfried (2881-2942) -- Mesonyktian engineer and test pilot, who was the second half of the Prut-Mesonyktian team that constructed and flew one of the first powered aircraft. After marrying the Prut engineer who designed the flyer, Seyfried went on to serve as the lead pilot for his spouse's aeronautic firm. He did much to establish the Mesonyktian ideal of the pilot as the "Hussar of the skies," given his legendary bohemian lifestyle and audacious flying style.

Andreas Starker (2946-) -- a former Mesonyktian Air Force pilot, Starker was the driving force behind a trio of friends that founded Teufelhaus Aeronautics, the leading Mesonyktian aircraft manufacturing firm specializing in high-performance aerial vehicles. Teufelhaus serves as the primary supplier of air superiority fighters to the Mesonyktian armed forces, and Starker, serving as the company's CEO, has risen to become one of the foremost Mesonyktian captains of industry.

Sabine Rorer (2969-) -- a leading mathematician and engineer in Mesonyktia, Rorer is a key figure in the Mesonyktian space exploration effort. In addition to designing a number of unmanned exploration vehicles, Rorer is the co-project lead on the Mesonyktian side of the proposed joint Prut-Mesonyktian mass driver program.

Military & Politics:

Rudolph Fleischer (2599-2664) -- the "Founding Father" of Mesonyktia and the single most revered figure in Mesonyktian national history. Fleischer was born into a knightly family in Sommerende a scant few years before the outbreak of the War of the Siblings, and came of age during the conflict. He joined the Order of St. Ragna at the age of 14, and found himself the overall commander of the Loyalist forces after the Fall of Baselburg and the death of the Basel. Despite exhibiting brilliant generalship and an innovative flair for detached, hit-and-run style mobile warfare, Fleischer's efforts were not enough to turn the tide against the Silberbund, although he was instrumental in gathering the Loyalist surviving leadership together to agree to the armistice that ended the conflict. He, along with Emil's daughter Maria Augusta, was a key force in convening and steering the Synod of Sommerende, acting as an aloof arbiter to the discussions and only rarely interjecting his own opinions into the philosophical fray. With the Synod in gridlock, a group of former court officials and military leaders approached Fleischer about the potential of him taking the throne as a a new, restored Basel, and reigning over West Prutenia/Mesonyktia as an autocrat in the style of Emil the Dark. Fleischer rejected the offer, preferring to let the convened voices of the Synod decide, forever cementing his legend in Mesonyktia. He served as first Hochmeister of the new nation, presiding with a steady, dignified hand and style of leadership. He remains a paragon in the eyes of many Mesonyktians, and is the only Pruton leader more revered than Adelbrecht.

Jakob Lattke (2621-2670) -- the "Architect of the Komturei," Lattke was the Hochmeister who succeeded Fleischer after the later's retirement from office in 2660 SH. Unlike the reserved Fleischer, Lattke had a notorious temper and a disquieting tolerance for bloodshed. It was at his behest Mesonyktia perfected the Komturei idea and began to implement it as the interdiction to Neo Prutenian colonial growth abroad. Lattke also antagonized the Neo Prutenians over Baselburg, commencing the back-and-forth skirmishes over the city that would persist for the next century and a half. Lattke did however manage to modernize and expand the Mesonyktian Navy and maritime trade presence, something that positioned Mesonyktia as a first-tier expansionist Wheat power entering the Modern Era. Lattke died abruptly of a "bleeding illness" that is now suspected to be a ruptured aneurysm in 2670 SH, although many historians believe it is likely he was assassinated by Neo Prutenian agents or Silver Heliandist sympathizers.

Heinrich Lowenstam (2738-2809) -- better known as "Heinrich the Magnificent," Lowenstam was the Hochmeister who shepherded Mesonyktia's transition from Monastic State to Republic. He is credited with defusing a potential revolution/civil war with his calling for a Constitutional Convention in 2773 SH, previous to which a growing number of Mesonyktians had become increasingly disaffected by the Knight's somewhat aloof style of governance, and desired a voice in national affairs. After a few particularly large riots in several Mesonyktian urban centers, Lowenstam shocked many observers by inviting both the delegates of the Althing and those selected by the various districts to come to Sommerende to construct a national charter to determine the new government. In 2776 SH, after 3 years of careful debate and countless drafts, the Constitution was finished and ratified by the Mesonyktian people. Lowenstam's handling of the entire transition period was compared to Fleischer's earlier example of leadership, and his progressive views set Mesonyktia on the road to becoming a stable democracy incorporating both Enlightenment ideals and time-honored traditions.

Wilhelm Isserlin (2918-3004) -- regarded as one of the few modern-day examples of the gallantry and unflinching commitment that made the Mesonyktian Knights what they were. A Ritter-Oberst that served with distinction during the Hesperian Civil War, specializing in daring nighttime raids against enemy-held facilities or garrisons. His views on what constituted the proper behavior of a soldier sometimes brought him into conflict with the commanders of some of the other Freikorps forces fighting in Hesperia, but made him a celebrated figure at home. Unlike many of the iconic leaders of the Hesperian Civil War, Isserlin lived a rather long life and died quietly in his elder years.

Anna Keyserling (2952-) -- the current presiding Hochmeister of Mesonyktia, Keyserling holds several Mesonyktian aeronautic records. Originally a fighter pilot in the Air Force, she was selected to be one of the pilots for the Mesonyktian SR-71 reconnaissance plane fleet. While testing a refitted version of the aircraft, she set several Mesonyktian records on the maiden flight, including 1) highest altitude reached in an aircraft, 2) highest air speed reached in an aircraft, 3) longest free-fall in an aircraft both in time and altitude, and 4) highest G's pulled by a pilot without losing consciousness. Keyserling would later go on to circumnavigate the globe without landing while flying solo in a test-bed aircraft in 2982 SH. However, while she is perhaps best-known for her achievements as a pilot, she is storied to be an expert at observing, reading, and manipulating other people. While by no means the most talented strategist or military leader in Mesonyktia, she is rightly respected as Hochmeister given her habit of surrounding herself with talented subordinates and dedicating herself to reading, and successfully manipulating, those that she needs to understand or move.

Current/Incumbent Head of State:
Hochmeister Anna Keyserling (2997-)
Preceding two (2) Heads of State:
Hochmeister Lukas Mausser (2978-2997)
Hochmeister Alexander Hein (2965-2978)
Current/Incumbent Head of Government:
Patrician Maximilian Elsler (3010-)
Previous two (2) heads of Government:
Patrician Lena Destinn (3000-3010)
Patrician Marcel Brestrich (2995-3000)
Minister of Foreign Affairs or equivalent:
Herold Laura Distel
Minister of Defense or equivalent:
Hochmesiter Anna Keyserling
Edited by Urarail, Jan 28 2014, 03:38 AM.
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Foreign Policy: The Knight's Covenant

The current guiding doctrine of Mesonyktian interaction with foreign states or state-level actors is the Knight's Covenant, a position outlined in 2921 SH. Penned in the early days of the watch of Hochmeister Alexander Hein, the Knight's Covenant was both reflective of and reactive towards the Prut Declaration of Lieblich and Osca Doctrine.

The Covenant is based on four central tenets:

I. Recognition of sovereignty of other nation-states in reciprocation of Mesonyktian sovereignty

A basic guarantee that Mesonyktia would respect the sovereignty of other nations that also respected Mesonyktia's sovereign borders. This was also seen as Mesonyktia's final repudiation of imperialist ventures. Likewise is included the unwritten corollary of turnabout being fair play, in which nations that meddled with Mesonyktian affairs or breached sovereign Mesonyktian territory could expect to receive Mesonyktia's full attention in terms of interference, subversion, and belligerence.

II. A sword and shield in times of need

The functional equivalent of the Osca Doctrine's provisions for interdiction in foreign lands, this tenet states that the full resources of the Mesonyktian Republic may be called upon by any sovereign actor or aggrieved group for aid. After the Republic reviews the merit of such requests, an appropriate response, or lack of response, will be made. Unlike the Osca Doctrine however, extensive language describing the Social Contract and breeches thereof is used throughout this section of the Covenant, in keeping with commonly held Mesonyktian civic philosophy. The Knight's Covenant argues that it is possible for sovereign groups to lose the legal and moral basis for their mandate by thoroughly breaking the social contract(s) upon which they were established. In so doing, they would be reclassified in the eyes of Mesonyktia as "rogue actors" and would be viewed as a criminal element to be subdued or exterminated.

A special subsection is included dealing with Heliandist populations abroad, reaffirming Mesonyktia's much earlier promise to defend the flocks of Heliand in times of need.

III. Declaration of asylum

In keeping with the legally guaranteed rights of the Constitution of the Republic, Mesonyktia declared itself a haven for any oppressed or aggrieved persons or individuals, essentially announcing Mesonyktia's current "open door" immigration policy. The sole caveat of the guarantee of asylum is that asylum-seekers and immigrants respect the rights and ideas of all other persons living in Mesonyktian territory and of Mesonyktian citizens abroad. Included in this provision is the promise to refuse and block extradition of asylum-seekers back to their native lands for "arbitrary" reasons, which Mesonyktia defines as discrimination born of religious, political, racial, or other non-criminal reasons.

IV. Affirmation of the global free market

In keeping with the vaguely overarching Mesonyktian capitalist economic theory, Mesonyktia forswore all "economic manipulation" of global markets for non-belligerent purposes. Effectively, this ended decades of protectionist tariffs and other policies while simultaneously signaling the Mesonyktian government would in no way police the market practices of Mesonyktian firms operating in the global market. That said, the Mesonyktian Republic did not recuse itself from economic sabotage or interference to be performed against states perceived to be hostile to Mesonyktia or its allies.
Edited by Urarail, Jun 6 2014, 11:31 PM.
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Mesonyktia 3015 Economics Data

All figures in NSD, for conversion to Western Thaler, 1 WT = 1.89 NSD = 0.945 Prut Thaler


GDP
5,182,716,914,000

Consumer Spending
4,042,519,192,920
78% of GDP

Administration
570,098,860,540
11% of GDP

Trade Balance
-155,481,507,420
-3% Net Balance

Exports
1,554,815,074,200
30% of GDP

Imports
1,710,296,581,620
33% of GDP

Gross Investment
725,580,367,960
14% of GDP

Total Public Revenue (TPR)
1,036,543,382,800

Tax Revenue
777,407,537,100
75% of TPR

Non-Tax Revenue
259,135,845,700
25% of TPR

Total Public Expenditure (TPE)
1,035,992,983,500

Healthcare & Public Welfare
207,198,596,700
20% of TPE

Education
310,797,895,050
30% of TPE

Military
290,078,035,380
28% of TPE

Law & Order
82,879,438,680
8% of TPE

Fixed Expenses/Interest Payments
72,519,508,845
7% of TPE

Other
72,519,508,845
7% of TPE

Debt
2,073,086,765,600
Value worth 40% of GDP

Annual Interest Repayment at 3%
62,192,602,968


Top Imports
-Plastics & Related Products
-Vehicles
-Synthetic Fuels
-Crude Oil
-Alcoholic Beverages
-Natural & Synthetic Rubber
-Coffee
-Cocoa
-Chocolate
-Luxury & Rare Goods
-Art & Other Cultural Works
-Perfumes & Cosmetics
-Lumber & Other Construction Materials
-Clothing
-Raw Textiles

Top Import Partners: Neo Prutenia, Rusichland, Stormvag

Top Exports
-Steel & Steel Products
-Uranium, Raw & Refined
-Nuclear Fuel & Related Products
-Books & Other Published Materials
-Coal
-Grains & Grain Products
-Alcoholic Beverages
-Fish
-Heavy manufacturing items & goods
-Aircraft
-Weaponry, Personal & Military-grade
-Ships
-Pharmaceuticals
-IT Hardware & Software

Top Export Partners: Neo Prutenia, Rusichland, Stormvag
Edited by Urarail, Jun 6 2014, 10:10 PM.
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