National Factbook of The United Palatinate
The information maintained herein is liable to change as and when events transpire. As such, this factbook is under a constant state of construction. Questions may be directed at the Question and Answer section at the end of the thread. Thank you.
The information maintained herein is liable to change as and when events transpire. As such, this factbook is under a constant state of construction. Questions may be directed at the Question and Answer section at the end of the thread. Thank you.
The United Palatinate_______________________________________________
The Palatinate, officially the Republic of the United Palatinate, is a country located at the eastern tip of Enealyas. It is divided into seven provinces and has a coastline of 3978 kilometres (2474 miles). To the north of the country lies the neighbouring mandated territory formerly known as Katurn, but now occupied by The Palatinate. To the west lies Alkoul and the eastern border is with Cordelian Sea. The southern coastline meets the Delmorian Ocean.
The Palatinate is multi-ethnic with around 74.8% of the population being made up of native black ancestry, however sole political power is held by the minority white population which makes up only 14.7% of the population. Legally, only English and Afrikaans are recognised as official languages despite Xhosa, Zulu and Ndebele being more widely spoken at home. The government is a multi-party parliamentary republic, though the positions of Head of State and Head of Government have been merged into the role of Staatpresident (State President).
The Palatinate boasts a strong mixed economy based around agriculture, mineral extraction and the armaments industry. A relatively stable economy, though, does not mean a strong society and ethnic segregation has become the norm with Blacks and Asians living in poorer townships or separate districts while the majority of the nation’s wealth is controlled and enjoyed by the White elite (though some Coloured people have begun to make up the small upper-middle class).
Contents________________________________________________________
Etymology
HistoryPre-Colonial Era (1000-1887)
Geography and Environment
Colonial Era (1888-1965)
Post-Independence and the Civil War (1966-1980)
Peace and Social Advancement (1981-Present)
Politics
Military and Police Forces
Economy
Demographics
Society and Culture
Etymology_______________________________________________________
Palatinate derives from the English adjective palatine (not to be confused with the demonym Palatine) meaning quasi-royal authority (from the 15th Century German state). This itself derives from the Latin palatinus meaning ‘from the palace’. In the original foundation of The United Palatinate before UDI (see History) the name represented the link to the British monarchy, but now the name has stuck as a matter of tradition.
History__________________________________________________________
Pre-Colonial Era (1000-1887)
Proto-Shona speaking societies first emerged in Eastern Enealyas in the 9th century before moving on to the Highland Mountains. The Enealyan plateau eventually became the center of subsequent Shona states, beginning in the 10th century. Around the early 10th century, trade developed with Arab merchants from northern areas of Enealyas, helping to develop the Kingdom of Mapungubwe in the 11th century. This was the precursor to the more impressive Shona civilisations that would dominate the region during the 13th to 15th centuries, evidenced by ruins at Limpopo, near Salisbury, and other smaller sites.
The Kingdom of Mapungubwe was the first in a series of sophisticated trade states developed in Eastern Enealyas by the time of the first European explorers from Portugal. They traded in gold, ivory and copper for cloth and glass.
From about 1300 until 1600, Mapungubwe was eclipsed by the Kingdom of Shoshona. This Shona state further refined and expanded upon Mapungubwe's stone architecture, which survives to this day at the ruins of the kingdom's capital of Limpopo. From around 1450–1760, Shoshona gave way to the Kingdom of Mutapa. This Shona state ruled much of the area that is known as The Palatinate today, and parts of central Katurn. It is known by many names including the Mutapa Empire and was renowned for its gold trade routes with northern Enealyan Arabs and the Portuguese. Portuguese settlers destroyed the trade and began a series of wars which left the empire in near collapse in the early 17th century.
As a direct response to the Portuguese presence in the interior, a new Shona state emerged called the Rozwi Empire. Relying on centuries of military, political and religious development, the Rozvi (meaning "destroyers") removed the Portuguese from the Enealyan plateau by force of arms. The Rozvi continued the stone building traditions of the Limpopo and Mapungubwe kingdoms while adding guns to its arsenal and developing a professional army to protect its trade routes and conquests.
Around 1821, the Zulu general Mzilikazi of the Khumalo clan successfully rebelled from King Shaka and set up his own tribe, the Ndebele. The tribe fought its way northwards into the Transvaal leaving a trail of destruction in its wake and beginning an era of widespread killings and devastation known as the Mfecane. When the Boer settlers (descendants of Dutch and other Europeans) arrived in the Transvaal in 1836 during the Great Trek they attacked the Ndebele and drove the tribe even further northward. In 1837–38, the Rozwi Empire along with other Shona states were conquered by the Ndebele and forced to pay tribute and concentrate in the northeast of present-day Palatinate.
After losing the Transvaal in 1840, Mzilikazi and his tribe settled the southwest of present-day Palatinate in what became known as Umtali and established Gauteng as their capital (now the city of Repulse). Mzilikazi then organised his followers into a military system with regimental kraals, similar to those of Shaka, which became strong enough to repel the Boer attacks of 1847–51 and persuade the government of the Boer Republic of the Transvaal to sign a peace treaty with him in 1852. Mzilikazi died in 1868 and after a brief, violent power struggle was succeeded by his son, Lobengula.
Colonial Era (1888-1965)
In the 1880s, the British arrived with colonialist Francis Percy's British East Enealyas Company. In 1888, Percy obtained a concession for mining rights from King Lobengula of the Ndebele peoples. He presented this concession to persuade the government of the United Kingdom to grant a royal charter to his British East Enealyas Company (BEEC) over Umtali, and its subject states such as Bulawayo.
Percy used this document in 1890 to justify sending the Pioneer Column, a group of white settlers protected by well-armed British East Enealyas Police (BEEP) through Umtali and into Shona territory to establish Fort Salisbury (now the city of Salisbury). In 1893 and 1894, with the help of their new maxim guns, the BEEP would go on to defeat the Ndebele in the First Umtali War, a war which also resulted in the death of King Lobengula. Percy sought permission to negotiate similar concessions covering all territory between Umtali and the Cordelian Sea.
In accordance with the terms of aforementioned concessions and treaties, Percy promoted the colonisation of the region's land, with British control over labour as well as precious metals and other mineral resources. In 1895 the BEEC adopted the name "Bophuthatswana" for the territory of East Enealyas.
During the 1890s, approximately 12,000 Boers (later known as becoming mistakenly known as Afrikaners, though there were strong ties between the two), departed from Bophuthatswana, where they had been subjected to British control. They migrated to the Vrystaat and Transvaal regions. The Boers founded the Boer Republics: the Boer Republic of the Transvaal and the Republic of the Boer Free State (Vrystaat).
The discovery of diamonds in 1897 and gold in 1904 in the interior of the Boer Republics started a mineral revolution and increased economic growth and immigration. This intensified the European subjugation of the indigenous peoples. The struggle to control these important economic resources was a factor in relations between Europeans and the indigenous population and also between the Boers and the British.
Shortly after a disastrous raid on the Boer Republic of the Transvaal, the Ndebele were led by their leader Mlimo against the white colonials and thus began the Second Umtali War (1896–97). The Shona also staged unsuccessful revolts against encroachment upon their lands, by clients of BEEC and Percy in 1896 and 1897. Following the failed insurrections of 1896–97 the Ndebele and Shona groups became subject to Percy's administration thus precipitating European settlement en masse which led to land distribution disproportionately favouring Europeans, displacing the Shona, Ndebele, and other indigenous peoples. Bophuthatswana became a self-governing British colony in October 1923, subsequent to a 1922 referendum.
In 1953, in the face of Enealyan opposition, Britain consolidated the colony of Bophuthatswana with the Boer Republics in the Federation of The United Palatinate which was dominated by Bophuthatswana. However, after significant British opposition to the white-minority Palatine government led by Angus Wright's Democratic Front (DF), The United Palatinate dropped its designation as a self-governing colony in 1964 and issued a Unilateral Declaration of Independence (commonly abbreviated to "UDI") from the United Kingdom on 11 November 1965, effectively repudiating the recently adopted British policy of "no independence before majority rule" and forming the Republic of the United Palatinate.
Post-Independence and the Civil War (1966-1980)
The United Kingdom deemed the Palatine declaration an act of rebellion, but did not re-establish control by force. Instead, sanctions and total exclusion were enforced, ensuring that The United Palatinate turned away from the United Nations and entirely into the Imperial League of Nations. What followed was an implementation of quasi-apartheid policies, based around land redistribution and mild disenfranchisement of non-European populations.
In December 1965 the Land Apportionment Act split the country into clearly defined areas of land eligible for purchase only by blacks, other areas available exclusively for whites, and some areas open for purchase by all races. This affected around 50% of the country, while another 40% became Tribal Trust Land, land reserved for tribal chiefs and their peoples which had some degree of autonomy (similar to American Indian land reservations). The final 10% became environmentally protected national land. This policy was followed in June 1966 by the Electoral Racial Definition Act which created two separate voting registers, an A Roll reserved for European voters, and a B Roll for all others. The A Roll held far more electoral power than the B Roll and limited non-European votes to around 10% of the Parliament.
These policies, despite not having caused a major retaliation on the international stage (with the exception of tariffs imposed from Danatha), did create a large-scale backlash amongst the non-European (mainly black) population within The Palatinate. Joshua Nkomo formed the Palatine Enealyan National Union (PENU), a political organisation that aimed to promote black political advancement and complete racial equality in The Palatinate. Initially this garnered much support and rose to become a major threat to the government, but in November 1966 a black militia organisation linked to PENU murdered a white farmer and his family in Simonstown. The murder shocked the white population and, when the Palatine Security Forces proved the link between the militia and PENU, the government was able to ban the party and arrest the majority of its leaders. Nkomo, however, was able to escape the country from where he raised a rebel force counter to the government.
This new PENU force launched a guerrilla campaign (which became known as the Palatine Bush War) against the Palatine government, frequently resorting to terror against white and black civilians to diminish support for the white minority government. However, by 1970, the Palatine Security Forces were able secure a strong defensive line and push forward into areas previously controlled by PENU. This gave the PSF vital knowledge in counter-insurgency warfare that shaped their makeup for decades to come, including the widespread use of the fireforce tactic and the deployment of the infamous Selous Scouts.
By 1978 PENU was almost entirely crushed. They held no influence in The Palatinate, bar a small area in the sparsely populated Highlands County in the north-east, and their military wing was severely under-supplied. The PSF destruction of their supply routes in February of 1979 exacerbated the situation and directly led to PENU calling for a ceasefire and negotiations. The negotiations, held in Castley Rock at Salisbury House, led to the complete disarmament of PENU and their smaller allied organisations, and re-acknowledged the ‘right to rule’ of the Palatine white-minority government. PENU officially disbanded on January 1st 1980.
Peace and Social Advancement (1981-Present)
Racial tensions following the Palatine Bush War were high and the government realised the precarious nature of their situation. The result was a call for the social advancement of non-Europeans along the same lines as the white population while a policy of political discrimination remained in effect.
The policy was enacted by the new United Federal Party (UFP) under Staatpresident Francois Pretorius in 1982 and involved large leaps forward in educational funding and the lowering of crime rates in non-European communities. Previous Democratic Front legislation which had socially diminished the position of non-Europeans was repealed, the most famous being the ban on separation of public amenities. By the end of Pretorius’s presidency, non-Europeans were earning only 50% less than whites (still up to 15 times higher than average wages in some post-colonial African nations) and 97% of them had access to clean, running water, gas and electricity.
Though the Land Apportionment Act remains in effect (supported by 72% of the white population) the government has designated all major cities as being mixed-race, but this in reality means that despite blacks and whites living in the same city, they are separated into residential districts and gated communities for the most part. The most recent piece of legislation has also allowed non-Europeans to serve in all but two regiments of the PSF. These pieces of legislation, following the policy of equal social advancement, have gone some way in reducing racial tension, but the fact still remains that The United Palatinate is governed by a white-minority government.
Geography and Environment_________________________________________
The United Palatinate is located at the easternmost region of Enealyas, with a long coastline that stretches almost 4000 kilometers (2478 miles) and along two oceans (the Delmorian and the Cordelian). The United Palatinate has a landmass of 1,219,912 km2 (471,011 sq mi). Mafadi in County Highlands, at 3,450 m (11,320 ft), is the highest peak in The Palatinate.
The interior of The Palatinate is a vast, flat, and sparsely populated bushland , which is drier towards the northwest along the Transvaal. In contrast, the south-western coastline is lush and well-watered, which produces a climate similar to the tropics.
To the west of Bloemfontein, the altitude drops beyond the Highlands, and turns into the lower lying Bushveld, an area of mixed dry forest and an abundance of wildlife. West of the Highveld, beyond the escarpment, the Lowveld stretches south towards the Delmorian Ocean. It has particularly high temperatures, and is also the location of extended subtropical agriculture.
The Palatinate also has one possession, the large island of Nyasaland, located just to the east of the Palatine mainland.
Climate
The Palatinate has a generally temperate climate, due in part to being surrounded by the Delmorian Ocean and Cordelian Sea on two sides, by its location in the climatically milder southern hemisphere and due to the average elevation rising steadily towards the north (towards the equator) and further inland. Due to this varied topography and oceanic influence, a great variety of climatic zones exist. Winters in The Palatinate occur between June and August.
The climatic zones vary, from the extreme desert of the western Transvaal in the farthest northwest to the lush subtropical climate in the southwest along the Alkoul border and the Delmorian Ocean. From the south, the land quickly rises over a mild escarpment towards the interior plateau known as the Highveld. Even though The Palatinate is classified as semi-arid, there is considerable variation in climate as well as topography.
The Highland Mountains, which form the north-eastern escarpment of the Highveld, offer limited skiing opportunities in winter. The coldest place in The Palatinate is Mutapiland in the eastern Highland Mountains, where midwinter temperatures can reach as low as −15 °C (5 °F). The deep interior has the hottest temperatures: a temperature of 51.7 °C (125.06 °F) was recorded in 2006 in the northern Transvaal near Bloemfontein.
Flora and Fauna
The most prevalent biome in The Palatinate is the grassland, particularly on the Highveld, where the plant cover is dominated by different grasses, low shrubs, and acacia trees. Vegetation becomes even more sparse towards the north-east due to low rainfall. The grass and thorn savannah turns slowly into a bush savannah towards the north-west of the country, with denser growth.
The majority of the plants are evergreen hard-leaf plants with fine, needle-like leaves. Another uniquely Palatine plant is the protea genus of flowering plants. There are around 130 different species of protea in The Palatinate.
While The Palatinate has a great wealth of flowering plants, only 1% of the land is forest, almost exclusively in the humid coastal plain of Umtali. Numerous mammals are found in the bushveld including lions, leopards, white rhinos, blue wildebeest, hyenas, hippopotamus, giraffes and the national animal, the springbok.
Politics_________________________________________________________
The Palatinate is a federal, parliamentary, representative democratic republic. The Palatine political system operates under a framework laid out in the 1965 constitution. Amendments require a two-thirds majority of both chambers of parliament.
The Staatpresident (State President) is the head of state and head of government. He is elected by the people and as the leader of the largest party in the Federal Assembly (Federale Vergadering), an institution consisting of the elected members of the Federal Assembly (elected through a First Past the Post method every five years) and an equal number of county delegates. This makes up the lower house of the legislature, the upper house being the Federal Council (Federale Raad) which is made up of representatives from the governments of each county.
The voting system used disproportionately favours the minority white population by using two separate electoral rolls, Roll A and Roll B, which have differing qualification standards. Roll A has high standards in education, property and income qualifications, and contains 95% whites. Roll B has lower standards in all of these fields and is 90% black, asian or coloured. Furthermore, Roll A results are used to elect 85% of the Federal Assembly's members, with Roll B making up only 10% of its composition and the final 5% being selected by native tribal chiefs.
Since 1965 the party system has been dominated by the Democratic Front and the United Federal Party, however the Transvaal became the first state to elect a local state government made up a party outside of this original duo when, in 2010, it elected the Centre Party.
Legal System
The Palatinate has a civil law system based on Roman Law with some references to English Common Law. The Federal Constitutional Court (Federale Konstitusionele Hof) is the Palatine Supreme Court responsible for constitutional matters, with power of judicial review. The court system is headed by the Supreme Federal Court (which stands as the final court of appeal) and consists of the Federal Civil Court, the Federal Criminal Court, and the County Courts. The Palatine legal system focuses on rehabilitation of the criminal and protection of the general public. Except for petty crimes (which are tried before a single judge) all trials are held before a jury of peers.
Constituent States
Due to its complex history, the states of The Palatinate, known as Counties, have a high degree of autonomy in internal affairs, though the adoption of the 1965 constitution gave the central government in Castley Rock greater ability to override counties’ decisions. There are seven counties in all:
Cape County
Umtali County
Bulawayo County
Transvaal County
Vrystaat County
Nyasaland County
County Highlands
Each of these counties is further divided into several Parishes. There are a total of 196 parishes in The Palatinate.
As of 2012 and the collapse of the bordering nation of Katurn, the PSF have occupied its land and it is effectively being governed as a de facto eighth county.
Military and Police Forces___________________________________________
The Palatine Security Forces are the military forces affiliated to the Palatine government. Founded in 1953 as the armed forces of the self-governing British colony of the United Palatinate, they remained loyal to the Castley Rock government after it unilaterally declared The Palatinate's independence on 11th November 1965. The security forces fought on behalf of the government against the Palatine Enealyan National Union (PENU) during the 1960s and 1970s in the Palatine Bush War.
The Palatine Security Forces consist of a ground force, an air force, a naval force and a police force as well as various personnel affiliated to the Palatine Ministry of Internal Affairs (INTAF – the Palatine Secret Service). Despite its relatively small size, The Palatinate is able to maintain a potent military capability.
Palatine Army
The regular army has always been a relatively small force. While the regular army consists of a professional core drawn from the white population (and some units, such as the Palatine SAS and the Palatine Light Infantry, are all-white), by 2010-11 the majority of its complement was actually composed of black soldiers. The army reserves, in contrast, are largely white.
The Palatine Army HQ is in Castley Rock and commands over six infantry brigades and HQ Special Forces, with various training schools and supporting units.
• 1 Bde – Salisbury with area of responsibility in Bulawayo and Umtali
• 2 Bde – Castley Rock with area of responsibility in the Cape
• 3 Bde – Bloemfontein with area of responsibility in the Transvaal and Highlands
• 4 Bde – Kimberly with area of responsibility in Vrystaat
• 5 Bde – Port Nicholson with area of responsibility in Nyasaland
• 6 Bde – Upington with rapid reaction capabilities and international area of responsibility
The PSF is famous for its use of unconventional forces, most of which were specifically developed in the Palatine Bush War for use in counter-insurgency operations.
The Selous Scouts
The Selous Scouts are a Special Forces unit within the Palatine Security Forces. Their mission guides them towards “the clandestine elimination of terrorists and terrorism both within and without the country.” Their badge features an osprey, a bird of prey that is found in small numbers in many parts of the world. Its motto is pamwe chete, Shona for forward together.
The Selous Scouts act as a combat reconnaissance force, with the mission of infiltrating any enemy tribal populations and guerrilla networks, pinpointing rebel groups and relaying vital information back to the conventional forces earmarked to carry out the actual attacks. Members of the regiment are trained to operate in small under-cover, clandestine teams capable of working independently in the bush for periods of weeks and of passing themselves off as rebels. The Selous Scouts are an entirely volunteer force made up of whites and blacks. On one occasion, 14 out 126 candidates – less than 12 percent of the total applicant pool – passed the selection process.
The Selous Scouts use psychological warfare and chemical warfare alongside their typical bushcraft and ambush techniques. Their operations are usually only small-scale but persistent and effective at targeting key individuals within an enemy organisation. They are the only unit in the Palatine Security Forces actively encouraged to grow facial hair.
Palatine Light Infantry (and the Palatine SAS)
An exclusively white regiment, the PLI is made up wholly of professional soldiers. Foreign volunteers from across the world, many veterans of foreign conflicts, have also joined and become a key part of the Regiment. The PLI is nicknamed "The Saints" and regarded, through astounding success with both internal Fireforce operations in The Palatinate and external preemptive strikes against guerrillas based in the former Katurn, as one of the world's foremost proponents of counter-insurgency warfare. So prominent were the airborne aspects of typical PLI operations that the Battalion became an airborne parachute battalion in 1977.
The PLI effectively created Fireforce operations, the tactic involving the pinpointing of enemies and rapid scrambling of a PLI helicopter patrol to their location in order to vertically envelop and surround them. Their rapid reaction ability also gives them the job of launching preemptive strikes against foreign or external targets when speed rather than stealth is of the essence.
The Palatine SAS (officially 1 Palatine Special Air Service Regiment) fulfills a similar role to the PLI though their tactics see the use of HALO and HAHO jumps from fixed wing aircraft rather than vertical envelopment from helicopters.
Grey’s Scouts
Grey's Scouts are used for tracking, reconnaissance, pursuit, and, most prominently, patrol, notably in the Palatine Bush War. Their routes often took them through active minefields, which they were to inspect. In addition to this, the small stature and manoeuvrability of the crossbreeds they rode on was of repeated benefit to the Palatine forces in the construction of border defences; the Scouts could transport materials and supplies over terrains impassable to vehicles.
Grey's Scouts are trained as mounted infantry rather than cavalry, and are prepared for engagements on foot rather than on horseback. A tactic of rushing and fronting with their horses was implemented to significant success by Grey's Scouts in the Palatine Bush War and they are noted for their skill in launching shock attacks.
Palatine Armoured Regiment (The Black Devils)
So named for their black tank suits, members of the PAR are all fully trained infantrymen who are later taught the skills of armoured specialisation. The MBT of the Palatine Army is the Leopard 2A6 (with certain modifications including improved air conditioning for the crew) and is designed for use in the bushveld and flatlands of The Palatinate as well as similar terrain abroad should the need arise. This was used to great success during the Palatine Bush War (though with the Leopard 1 MBT instead) when the north-western Palatinate was kept largely clear of guerrilla forces thanks to PAR operations. For the more mountainous regions, the PAR uses the Stryker IFV as well as the Marauder APC.
Palatine Air Force
The Palatine Air Force fulfills two distinct roles. The first is to defend The Palatinate’s airspace against any form of threat, including taking control of any airspace in a Palatine invasion. The second is to support the Palatine Army’s operations on the ground mainly through ground attack or simple logistical operations.
The majority of troop transport aircraft (currently UH-60 Black Hawks) fall under the control of the Palatine Army and Marines, the Air Force being left with heavy utility and attack helicopters (respectively the MH-53 Pave Low and the Augusta Westland AH1 Apache Longbow (British variant)). The Air Force also operates air superiority fighters (currently the F-22 Raptor) and Close Air Support aircraft (the A-10 Thunderbolt II). The Palatinate’s bomber force comprises of the F117 Nighthawk stealth bomber and the B-1 Lancer high altitude supersonic bomber. Tactical and strategic transport is provided by the Hercules C130-J and the C17 Globemaster III while long-range military transport and refueling is the job of the Airbus A330MRTT and A4000M. A number of Hercules C130s are in the process of being converted into Spectre gunships for further close air support.
Palatine Navy
The Palatine Navy serves as the defender of The Palatinate’s territorial waters as well as the main mode of power projection for the PSF on an international scale. It is a blue water navy with two aircraft carriers (though this number is expected to rise with increases to defence spending). It operates its own air wing, the Fleet Air Arm, which is served by a complement of F-35C JSF Lightening IIs.
The Palatine Navy’s aircraft carriers are based around the British Queen Elizabeth Class carriers and are supported by Wasp Class Amphibious Assault Ships. The Palatinate uses the Visby Class Corvette and the Type 45 Destroyer. Its nuclear deterrent is carried by Astute Class submarines.
The Palatine Marines are also considered a part of the Palatine Navy and are used to secure beachheads in amphibious landings, as well as to support the Palatine Army in ground-based operations. They are mainly deployed from helicopters attached to Amphibious Assault Ships, though landing craft are also used in certain situations.
East Enealyan Police
The East Enealyan Police (whose name is based upon their history as the British Eastern Enealyas Police) are the police service of The Palatinate. Their role is to provide law and order in The Palatinate, however they are also a paramilitary organisation that work as part of the PSF to counter terrorist or guerrilla activities at a local level.
The EEP have special mounted units for use in the bushveld and large flatlands and savannahs throughout the nation. These troops are trained alongside Grey’s Scouts of the Palatine Army in various equestrian techniques and the use of small arms. They specifically target poachers and smugglers as well as illegal immigrants and traffickers (closer to the border).
All EEP officers are armed with a pistol and baton, and any mounted police units are also armed with small arms. In times of urban unrest, the EEP can also use their own arsenal of Marauder APCs.
Economy_________________________________________________________
The Palatinate has a mixed economy with a low rate of poverty (mainly amongst black tribal populations) and a high GDP per capita. Unemployment is low but income inequality is moderate to high as measured by the Gini Coefficient. The Palatinate does not have a thriving informal economy due to strict government regulation and relatively progressive social and economic policies.
After 1965 government policy brought down inflation, stabilised public finances, and foreign capital was attracted, however growth was mainly achieved from the creation of a large private sector within the nation, particularly in the agricultural and mineral extraction industries. From 1980 onward economic growth picked up significantly; both employment and capital formation increased.
The Palatinate is a popular tourist destination, and tourism is the fourth largest industry in the nation. However, illegal immigration is a rising problem in The Palatinate, with many immigrants to the country continuing to live in poor conditions; the immigration policy has become increasingly restrictive since 2010 when the government made its elimination a top priority.
Labour Market
Following the Palatine Bush War and the government’s policy of greater social equality for non-Europeans, large amounts of foreign investment have created a variety of jobs that are ideally suited to the emerging black middle class. From 1985 onwards, the number of jobs in the formal economy has steadily increased while the informal economy has plummeted, though this decline has become less rapid in recent years due to large numbers on illegal immigrants from abroad.
The Palatinate has also attracted large numbers of skilled and professional workers, particularly from the UK and The Netherlands due to the common history. These highly-skilled workers have created a strong scientific sector in The Palatinate which has been focused towards renewable energy, more efficient extraction methods, and the development of the armaments industry.
Agriculture
The Palatinate’s arid landscape in the north means that most farming takes place in the south of the country. The three largest agricultural products in The Palatinate in value terms are cereal, meat (from cattle) and beverages (mainly wine and beer). The majority of arable land in The Palatinate is owned by white farmers, though government initiatives in Tribal Trust Lands and Native Purchases have encouraged the growth of farming in black tribal communities.
Mineral Extraction
The mining industry in The Palatinate has played a large part in its history. The main mineral products are gold, diamond and uranium. This sector is dominated by three main firms: KMK (Kimberly Mynbou Korporasie), De Vilier’s, and MynKorps. Though working conditions were sub-par originally, and relied on cheap natives for labour, government legislation has led to a small increase in the work quality in these mines, though it remains below the levels of most other nations.
Because of its size as The Palatinate’s largest industry, the government tends to act slowly in forming legislation which may hamper mining, for fear of causing capital flight.
Demographics_____________________________________________________
In the latest census, the majority of Palatines were classed as Black, then figure being 74.8%, however the most powerful racial group politically and economically is the European or White group which makes up 14.7% of the population. Coloured people make up 7.9% of the population while the remaining 3.6% are classified as Asian.
Though classified as Black (or Native) there is a wide variety of social and linguistic differences between the different native people, with 7 recognised regional languages stemming from the native population. Blacks make up a large part of the population throughout the entirety of the country, though they are becoming steadily more concentrated in the Tribal Trust Lands and Native Purchase Lands since the Land Apportionment Act was introduced. Though the majority of these people still speak a Bantu language at home, the rise of a black middle class and the government provision of education has led to an English literacy rate of 98.6% among the black population.
The White population is made up of British settlers and Dutch Boers (or Afrikaners – the Enealyan Afrikaners and the South African Afrikaners share a mixed heritage) as well as a smaller number of European immigrants. The majority of the European population speaks English day-to-day but Afrikaans is also widely spoken and the only other official language of The Palatinate (alongside English). The English-speakers tend to be concentrated in the cities and Cape County, while Afrikaners can be found in Transvaal County and Vrystaat County mainly, due the existence of former Boer states in these places.
The Coloured population is found mainly in the same areas as the Whites as Coloureds are usually the descendents of mixed marriages between a White and a Black. They are almost exclusively English speakers and tend to reside in the cities alongside other English speakers. They are generally well-regarded by Whites and seen as being superior to both Blacks and Asians.
The Asian community in The Palatinate is focused in the east of the country. They were originally labourers brought to the nation by the British to work on major colonial projects such as railways and plantations. Their number has been steadily shrinking since independence in 1965 as they are granted no more rights or liberties than Blacks, but are also not tied to the land by their culture or history.
Religion
The latest census revealed that the vast majority of Palatines see themselves as Christians, the total number being 85.1% of the population. The majority of these are Protestants with Catholics making up the remainder. In certain areas indigenous beliefs are still prevalent but this is being confined to small tribal enclaves.
Hinduism and Sikhism, originally brought by the Asian immigrants, are declining as Asian emigration increases. Likewise, Islam, which was always only a tiny proportion of the nation (making up 0.89% at its peak) is also on the decline. Only 3.8% of Palatines describe themselves as having no religious affiliation.
Health
The Palatinate’s major health concern is currently cancer, which affects mining workers and those living near mines. The government has made a concerted effort to reduce the level of pollution in the nation in the hope of reducing cancer rates as well as preserving the natural beauty. As of 2010-11, cancer rates are still rising, though at a lesser rate than previously.
Society and Culture________________________________________________
Palatine culture takes aspects from many different parts of its population’s diverse history. In the cities and European Land the culture takes many aspects from European, North American and Australasian customs, but with some home-grown Palatine customs becoming increasingly dominant, such as the braai (a community-based barbecue). Many urban blacks also pick up similar customs, but rural native populations tend to keep their own heritage alive, something which is of particular interest to the large numbers of tourists.
The Palatinate’s literature and cinema is dominated by the White minority and focuses on issues that affect the nation, spanning troubles from the Palatine Bush War, to the racial discrimination, to the new ‘freer’ Palatinate after 1980. Cinema also follows in this trend though both have been accused by foreign critics of romanticising the European domination and taming of the wild land of Enealyas. In recent years, black writers have come to the fore but have attracted much criticism and censorship from the government for their subtle attacks on minority rule and the social position of blacks in The Palatinate which, despite having improved steadily from 1980, is still well below the standards of the White elite.
Music is split into two distinct areas – the informal popular music and the formal music industry. The informal music industry is based largely around native tribal music and customs, as well as modern pop music sung in Bantu languages. This draws much attention from tourists and certain rural communities, though is not officially part of The Palatinate’s music industry due to the lack of funding, recording and general release. The formal music industry has followed along the lines of British and American popular music and is almost entirely sung in English, but Palatine culture makes appearances in the topics and lyrics of the songs. Recently, a greater move towards Afrikaner music has appeared with even the urban English populations becoming more involved in it.
Media
Palatine Media is heavily influenced by the government. The largest media broadcaster is the publicly-owned Palatine Broadcasting Network (PBN) which operates in English but with specific Afrikaans television channels and radio stations. It must follow official government policy strictly in its news reports and its programming.
Other broadcasters which are privately run are subject to censorship and strict rules regarding political activism, though they are allowed some degree of autonomy in their programming and schedules. Some privately-owned pirate radio stations do exist but have been repeatedly harassed by INTAF (Ministry of Internal Affairs).
Sports
The Palatinate is a major sporting nation, with sportsmanship and athletic ability being taught from a young age as part of the educational curriculum. The most popular sports are rugby (RFU rules) and cricket, though athletics and rowing are becoming increasingly popular. The Palatine national rugby team is known as the Ospreys and is a formidable team.
Among the upper class, polo has become a major sport, largely being played nationally between various universities. The notable polo team is the Grey Devils, the military team taken from Grey’s Scouts. They are currently the highest ranking team in The Palatinate for this year’s season.
Education
Education in The Palatinate is a three-tiered system, consisting of primary schools (5-11 year olds), secondary schools (11-18 year olds) and universities (over 18s). Both primary and secondary schools follow a set system (up until the age of 16) where students are placed in classes based on academic ability for each subject. There is no difference between the classes in any way, with the aim being to prevent students falling behind smarter peers, or being left behind by less intelligent classmates. From the age of sixteen, students choose to study at a Higher Level or Standard Level for six subjects, chosen from six subject groups (such as the sciences, humanities etc.).
Schooling is mandatory until the age of 18. The curriculum focuses on providing a broad-based education among a variety of subjects but sports in particular is emphasised more than most nations. As of the 2002 Education Equality Act there is no difference in the curriculum or funding of White, Coloured, Asian or Black schools.