Alert: this is in no way, shape, or form canon. Just FYI.
The Nomadic Peoples of YellowApple: A Factbook
The Nomadic Peoples of YellowApple is a completely mobile nation, built upon large dirigibles floating high into the stratosphere.
History:
YellowApple's origins trace back to the South Pacific region. YellowApple's first city was a project initiated by Northside Down Technologies, a corporation specializing in computational, biological, and aerospace research. Given the success of this initial aerial colony, NDT moved its headquarters to this city, now referred to as Manzanopolis Prime, which is the highest altitude city at 91.8 km above sea level. Manzanopolis Prime followed a jet stream out of the South Pacific region into The Monastery, a comparatively small region of two other nations. From this city, the new nation of YellowApple expanded to include a network of floating cities throughout the stratosphere above The Monastery.
The current Administrator of YellowApple, Administrator Amarillo Manzano, has been the Administrator for the entirety of YellowApple's 50-year lifetime, having been the CEO of Northside Down Technologies. Due to cybernetic and bionic implants, his life expectancy is predicted to be over 500 years. Historically, Administrator Manzano joined his soldiers in the front lines of multiple battles, including a skirmish around a city component that encountered a buoyancy failure and crashed in the belligerent nation of Angrivantis. With the boost in morale, his soldiers and the combat-capable citizens aboard that component successfully held back the Angrivantian army long enough for support airships to lift the damaged component back into the safety of the upper stratosphere, beyond the reach of Angrivantis' comparatively primitive combat aircraft and SAM missile trucks.
YellowApple has been the subject of much controversy throughout its history, especially with its oppressive government approach. YellowApple's policy involving the enslavement of "threatening criminals" and, in extreme cases, their families (regardless of actual involvement in the crime) has received much public criticism in other nations. Likewise, the dictatorship-esque government style in YellowApple is frequently attacked by analysts; citizens are required to vote by law, but their votes are only to advise the Administrator of an effective decision in lawmaking. Administrator Manzano has also used his absolute power for the purpose of procuring female companionship; he has on average anywhere from 150 to 500 female citizens at any given time within the walls of his palace in Manzanopolis Prime. However, not one of these women have claimed unwillingness to serve him. Rather, for a woman to be chosen to reside with the Administrator, it is considered an honor both for her and her family, indicative of her beauty in comparison to her female competitors. This concept is often difficult for outsiders to understand.
Only once has there been a direct attack on a YellowApplan city, by a small nation incorrectly identifying it as a flying weapon. This small nation remains officially unnamed (YellowApplan historians and military officials never bothered to document it), but is informally referred to as Pirateland by the YellowApplan government to amplify the malice behind its actions. Reportedly, the city of Del Tangerino was attacked by fighter aircraft from Pirateland's only city of the same name. Del Tangerino immediately struck back, invading Pirateland. All Piratelandic citizens were enslaved and the nation was stripped of all resources. These slaves have since been integrated into YellowApplan culture.
The first foreign embassy established in YellowApple's capitol city of Manzanopolis Prime is that of the United Districts of Marcinesia. YellowApple only recently joined the World Assembly.
Geography:
YellowApple is currently positioned within the airspace of The Monastery, a small region consisting of a handful of nations. YellowApple has no conventional geographic features due to its airborne nature. However, the nation tends to be in close proximity to atmospheric jet streams and other major elements of aerial navigation and travel.
Due to high elevation, the low atmospheric pressure makes sub-zero temperatures and low levels of oxygen the norm in YellowApple's floating cities. Temperatures generally remain around -3 degrees Centigrade, just below the freezing point of water. The cities' altitudes range between 40 km (within the upper stratosphere) to a maximum altitude of 90 km (well into the mesosphere), as well as multiple higher-altitude outposts between 100 and 500 km (within the thermosphere), used primarily for deployment of orbital vehicles. The bulk of the population resides no higher than 80 km above sea level.
Each YellowApplan city dedicates on average around 50-60% of its capacity to hydroponic farmland and high-altitude ranches. The hydroponic farms double as both food production centers and a vital supplier of oxygen.
Although the cities are positioned well above storm clouds, high levels of ultraviolet light pose an extreme health hazard. UV-blocking sunscreen is worn regularly, and most cities have an artificial ozone layer to protect against dangerous levels of electromagnetic radiation. The high altitude also poses environmental concerns; YellowApple responded by initiating the Ozone Replenishment Project, which resulted in the installation of ozone synthesis facilities in cities between 40 and 50 km above sea level to inject additional ozone into the stratosphere.
Economy:
YellowApple is a large exporter of computational systems and aircraft of various classifications. Carpentry, however, is YellowApple's weak point, thus making wood furniture the largest import aside from various non-staple foods. The economy is very socialist, and regulated heavily by YellowApple's central government; although the private sector is growing rapidly due to pro-business laws and regulations (such as the elimination of minimum wage), the products and services provided are often dictated by YellowApplan government in order to serve customers with maximum efficiency and reflect current market trends. Although this practice is often heavily criticized, it has thus far resulted in a sharp increase in overall economic health.
GDP: Approx. $A10 Trillion
GDP per capita: Approx. $A95,000
Population below poverty line: 13.6%
Unemployment rate: 1.4%
Income tax rate: flat 13%
Household income consumption percentage: approx. 45% (not recorded by official government surveys)
Inflation rate: 6%
Labor force: 3 million
Industries: computer systems, IT support, aerospace, architecture, nuclear energy production, ozone manufacturing
Electricity: 10 billion kWh produced, 5.4 billion kWh consumed, 3.5 billion kWh exported (via capacitor packages), 1 billion kWh donated to developing nations via the Electrical Energy Support Initiative
Currency: Slice (symbol: $A, exchange rate: $A1 <-> $1.5)
Military:
Branches: Aerial Attack Force, Aerial Defense Force, Sky Marines, Army
Manpower: 500,000 human, plus 750,000 in "synthetics" (artificially intelligent support soldiers and combat drones)
Available manpower: 2 million human (the entire male population of YellowApple citizens), plus 1 million combat-ready synthetics on reserve
Percentage of population: 33.3% total (8% in active duty)
Budget share: 43% total (36% primary, 7% domestic police)
Government and Political Structure:
Country Name: The Nomadic Peoples of YellowApple
Short Name: YellowApple
Common Reference: YellowApple
Government Type: Corporate/Socialist Hybrid Dictatorship
Capitol: Manzanopolis Prime
Major Cities: Manzanopolis Prime, Del Tangerino, Trololopolis, Astleyville, Torvaldsville
Date of Founding: May 27th, 2051
National holidays: Manzanistmas (December 25), Manzaneaster (April 30th), Independence Day (May 27th), Trolololiday (March 13th)
Suffrage: Mandatory voting for all citizens
Executive branch: Administrator, Advisory Cabinet, City Mayors
Judicial branch: individual city court systems, Administrative branch handles national issues
Legislative branch: Advisory Cabinet (over-ridden by Administrator)
Political parties: Outlawed in 2057 due to excessive polarization of political agendas
International organization participation: International Space Station (pending; contribution of server farm and IT support module suggested)
WA Description Category: Compulsory Consumerist State
People and Population:
Total population: 6 million
Gender Distribution: 33.3% male, 66.7% female
Age Distribution: 35% under 25, 42% between 25 and 75, 13% over 75
Median Age: 34
Population growth rate: 25%
Net Migration Rate: 13.4%
Life Expectancy: 85
Nationality: YellowApplan (South Pacific and Monasterian origins)
Languages: YellowApplan (derived from a combination of South Pacific and Monasterian languages), English
Literacy: 97%
Communication:
Country code and Top-Level Domain: Telephone - N/A (uses VoIP exclusively), Internet - .ya (pending)
Percentage of households with internet connection: 100% (required by law)
Internet Hosts: YellowApplan Networking Division . YellowApplan Department of Telecommunications (dt.nd.gov.ya), University of YellowApple (uy.edu.ya), approximately 2 million independently-owned web hosts
Internet Service Providers: YellowApplan Networking Division (dt.nd.gov.ya), University of YellowApple (uy.edu.ya), various city-wide internet service providers (*.[city code].gov.ya)
Other information:
Legal age / age of informed consent: 16
Contraband: tobacco, fossil fuels, nuclear waste, potentially invasive species, methamphetamines, cocaine, heroin
Women's Rights: irrelevant (equality is assumed but not enforced)
Racial equality: Assumed but not enforced
Slavery: legal; "threatening criminals" (armed robbers, murderers, rapists, terrorists, citizens of hostile nations, etc. and, in extreme cases, their families), if not condemned to death, are sentenced to lifelong servitude, along with their descendants.
Gambling: legal; no age limit (minors must be supervised by adults)
Alcohol consumption: legal; no age limit to consume, must be of legal age to purchase
Psychadelic / Psychoactive drugs: legal; no age limit to consume, must be of legal age to purchase (does not include substances listed as contraband)
Gay marriage: legal
Pedophilia: illegal; considered a "threatening" crime (punishable by lifelong servitude and possibly death)
Bestiality: illegal (classified as rape); considered a threatening crime
Polyamory: legal, but rarely practiced due to social stigmas
Religious freedom: legal, but restrictions against practices that negatively affect public safety
Divorce: legal, but heavily taxed by central government
Criminal minors: rehabilitated; parent(s)/guardian(s)/caretaker(s) are fined on first and second crimes, sentenced in place of child on third offense
Firearms: no restrictions on the firearms themselves; high school and college courses on proper firearms use are mandatory prior to possession and legal operation of firearm; may be carried in public locations; must be 21 to purchase a concealable weapon (changed from 16 in 2086 due to increase in gang violence)
