Factbook of Yasashii - OUT OF DATE

[Yasashii]

This version is out of date! CURRENT VERSION

Factbook of Yasashii

History of Yasashii
The height of the industrial revolution ushered in an era of new thought. A peaceful upheaval, lead by academics and socially minded industrialists, sought to institute a new way of governing, an apolitical system whereby the educated could govern with technology in the best interests of mankind, not policy makers, in mind. Thus Yasashii was born into isolation as other nations distanced themselves, fearing the trend would spread. Founded on the 3 May 1844, called Year 0 by the 1864 constitution, Yasashii adopted the form of "Commonwealth" to best suit the language of the day. The most current constitution of July 2010 adopts the term of "noocracy" - or aristocracy of the wise, according to Plato - to define itself, though "Commonwealth" is maintained for official purposes.

[Yasashii]

Geography of Yasashii
Terrain: Variable: mountainous southern peninsula; hilly inland, north and east; largely flat elsewhere
Climate: Temperate/oceanic: Warm summers and cool winters.
Land Area: 12,715,241 sq.km
Population Density: 234.29 people/sq.km
Elevation Extremes:
Highest Point: Mount Isumi, +2,829m
Lowest Point: Atami Hotsprings, -4m
Natural Resources: Fish, rich soil, aluminum, titanium, silica, magnesium, otherwise negligible mineral resources. Hydroelectric sources and potential
Natural Hazards: Landslides in mountainous areas.
Environmental Issues: Heavy human development has destroyed ecosystems or irreversibly changed large swathes of the country. Creation of artifical inland lakes by the Soka dam has changed local ecosystems. Pollution from traffic and industry a concern. Mount Isumi is a dormant volcano; portions of the country may be sitting on a giant caldera.

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Economy of Yasashii
Economic Structure: An idustrialized country, Yasashii can attribute it's powerful economy to a mixture of public-private cooperation, low tax rates, and the extensive use of high technology, especially in the workplace. Regulations and structures based on ordoliberal principles ensure healthy and fair competition on a free market basis with low levels of inflation and unemployment. Sustainable resource use practices reduce waste and prevent the need to import a higher number of resources. Strong work ethics, the promise of life-time or long term employment, and a national working standard have created efficient workers. A trade deficit reflects Yasashii's lack of natural resources.
GDP: NS$127,647,171,000,000
Per Capita: NS$42,849
Labour Force by Occupation:
Agriculture/Resources: 1.4%
Manufacturing: 31.2%
Services: 67.4%
Industries: motor vehicles, electronic equipment, machine tools, steel and nonferrous metals, ships, chemicals, textiles, processed foods
Agricultural Products: rice, sugar beets, vegetables, fruit; pork, poultry, dairy products, eggs; fish
Exported Goods: motor vehicles, miscellaneous consumer goods, processed foods, textiles, fuels and chemicals, raw materials.
Imported Goods: motor vehicles, miscellaneous consumer goods, processed foods, medical equipment, raw materials, fossil fuels.
Electricity:
Sources: Hydroelectric, wind, solar, geothermal, fossil fuels.
Production: 41.120 trillion kWh
Consumption: 32.056 trillion kWh
Imports: 0 kWh
Exports: 0 kWh
Oil:
Production: 31.30 bbl/day
Consumption: 51.785 million bbl/day
Imports: 20.900 million bbl/day
Exports: 0 bbl/day
Natural Gas:
Production: 701.36 billion cu m
Consumption: 1,021.1 billion cu m
Imports: 319.74 billion cu m
Exports: 0 cu m

[Yasashii]

Government and Politics of Yasashii

Yasashii can be described as a limited or authoritarian democracy - or liberal constitutional dictatorship, depending on your view point. Citizens who have excelled in personal development and have earned a university degree may vote for a representative to the National Board, which in turn elects a National Director for life. The National Director tends to come from one of a handful of political families or dynasties and wields near total power, though must show benevolence and good governance or risk an impeachment (for violating the Rule of Law) or a non-confidence movement (for poor governance). The National Board members and the National Director tend to be technocrats and/or philosopher kings, in the Platonian sense. Unlike liberal democracies, where the elected think of their constituency first, the National Board and National Director must think of the nation and the good of society, placing Yasashii before personal whims - Yasashii culture and mindset make this the norm.

Though free speech is tolerated to a degree, there are some curbs - not necessarily enforced by the state, but by people's civility and attitude. Yasashii culture is, by nature, tight-lipped on potentially divise topics, except between friends. People are civil and polite and very rarely do you hear one citizen cramming their views and beliefs down the throat of another. Logical, rational thinking - not emotional idealistic rambling - is promoted through the media and education system. Private citizens and media are certainly free to criticize the government's actions, though ideological battles are non-existent. As such, despite a strong, legal grip on power, the National Board and the National Director are not free from the shackles of public image and opinion, but are well cushioned from the ideology-based public relations issues many democratic leaders face.

As Hobbes put forth, a state with a strong sovereign need not deny the people of civil rights. Civil rights DO NOT equal political rights, but rather the freedom for citizens to live their lives free from undue interference. Respect for the Rule of Law, freedom from illegal search and seizure, fair trial by a body of peers, gay marriage, equal employment opportunity, maternal/paternal leave, equality of the sexes, virtually no censorship in art and music, and so forth are all guaranteed by the constitution. As such, Yasashiijin society can be described as liberal in this sense, though the political system is only mildly so.

Country name:
Conventional Long Form: The Commonwealth of Yasashii
Conventional Short Form: Yasashii
Government type: Plato's Noocracy/limited democracy
Capital: Daiju
Administrative divisions: None; government services provided through "Local Area Services" normally based around institutes of higher learning.
Independence: 3 May Year 0 (1844)
National holiday: Day of the New State, 3 May.
Constitution: July 2010
Legal system: Civil law system; National Board reviews and creates laws.
Suffrage: Upon graduation with no less than a Bachelor's degree.
Executive branch: Head of State and Government: Akito, National Director.
Legislative branch: Unicameral National Board serves as cabinet and decision making organ, elected by university graduates to represent their alma mater. Timing of elections determined by each university's constitution.
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court: Chief Justice appointed by the National Director
Local Area Courts: Judges appointed by the Director of the Directorate of Social Relations
Political parties and leaders: Political parties are banned.
International organization participation: Almost non-existent. Extremely limited relations. No alliances; membership rescinded.
Cabinet and Structure:
Yasashii's ministries follow a hierarchy wherein the Office of the National Director is the primary "ministry," followed by four directorates. In turn, these four directorates have a series of bureaus, boards, services, councils, and agencies under their title, which perform the various bureaucratic and service tasks of government. The directorates themselves are directive bodies over their respective bureaus.

It must be noted that each directorate is headed by a member of the National Board ("Senior Board Member"), as is each bureau, agency, office, etc. ("Junior Board Member"). Other National Board Members are called "Members without a portfolio". Together with the National Director, SBMs and JBMs form the National Cabinet.

National Director: Akito

Deputy National Director: Rei Hitomi

Director of Foreign Affairs: Rei Hitomi

-Head of the International Trade Office: Aoi Suzu

-Head of the Diplomatic Property Control Board: Asuka Takara

-Head of Border Control Services: Anthony Eldermann

-Head of Immigration Control Services: Masaru Shinobu

-Head of the Customs Bureau: Christine Sawyer

-Head of the Passports and Visas Agency: Kaito Kazuko

-Head of the Port Security Agency: Mei Keiko

Director of Social Relations: Dr. Bae Jong-Un

-Head of the Education Bureau: Dr. Hana Song-Kim

-Head of the Electoral Board: David Windsor-Smith

-Head of the Health Bureau: Dr. Aoi Kaede

-Head of the Welfare Bureau: Dr. Susan Pierce

-Head of the Justice Board: Hiroko Emi

-Head of Internal Security Services: Kaito Yoshiro

-Head of the State Property Management Agency: Alexander Reichtoff

-Head of the Yasashii Revenue Agency: Daisuke Tomoko

-Head of the Yasashii Post Agency: Louise Miriam

-Head of the Parks and Recreation Bureau: Asuka Kaede

Director of National Research: Dr. Shinzo Midori

-Head of the Bureau for Industrial Guidance: Kouta Shinobu

-Head of the Commerce Bureau: Emily Rice

-Head of the Central Monetary Authority: Hideki Jiro

-Head of the Transportation Bureau: Dr. William Bechler

-Head of the Agency for National Engineering Projects: Naoki Mao

-Head of the Environment Board: Dr. Ruth Klein

-Head of Yasashii Hydro: Shinzo Akane

-Head of the National Research Council: Dr. Anne Carver

-Head of Communications Yasashii: Cho Park-Rei

Director of the Armed Forces: Albert Meddel

-Head of the Air Force: Shinzo Isamu

-Head of the Navy: Haruto Goro

-Head of the Army: Hachiro Hoshi

-Head of Special Services: Robert Grant

-Head of Yasashii Security and Intelligence Services (YSIS): Takashi Isamu

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Military of Yasashii
Branches: Directorate of the Armed Forces; Navy, Army, Air Force, YSIS
Military Service age and obligation: 18 years of age, 6 months conscription to be completed before turning age 30, 1 week of training every two years until age 60.
Manpower: 32 persons per 1000 (3.2% of population, including reserves)

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People and Population of Yasashii
Population: Roughly 3 billion
Nationality:
Noun: Yasashii, Yasashiijin (Ethnic) (singular and plural)
Adjective: Yasashiijin, Yasashian (incorrect)
Ethnic groups:
Yasashiijin 98.1%, Western/Caucasian 1%, Asian 0.6%, other 0.3%
Languages:
English and Japanese official, Yasashiigo (corruption of Japanese and English) widely understood
Literacy:
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 100%
Male: 100%
Female: 100%
Age structure:
0-18 years: 28.1%
18-30 years: 30.3%
30-60 years: 29.7%
60 years and over: 12.2%
Urban population: 90%
Urbanization Rate: -0.02% annually
Sex ratio:
At birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.95 male(s)/female
Infant mortality rate:
Total: 2.79 deaths/1,000 live births
Male: 2.99 deaths/1,000 live births
Female: 2.58 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth:
Total population: 85.5 years
Male: 84.1 years
Female: 86.9 years

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Communications of Yasashii
Telephones - main lines in use: 970.579 million
Telephones - mobile cellular: 2,550.395 million
Telephone system:
General assessment: excellent domestic and international service
Domestic: high level of modern technology and excellent service of every kind
International country code: +100
Radio broadcast stations: AM 315 (plus 370 repeaters), FM 289 (plus 595 repeaters), shortwave 71
Television broadcast stations: 211 (plus 7,341 repeaters)
Internet country code: .yas
Internet hosts: 870.249 million
Internet users: 2,690.91 million