Realm of Cotland (Factbook) [Earth II, Closed]

by **Cotland** » Sat Oct 23, 2010 5:21 am

The Realm of Cotland

Cotland, officially the Realm of Cotland or just the Realm, is a nation located in Earth II. The Realm occupies a substantial part of northern and eastern Europe, with the heartland located in Scandinavia. Centered in northeastern Europe, the Realm is a large nation with a turbulent history dating back more than one thousand years to the age of Vikings through to the present day. Once a globe-encompassing empire, Cotland has been scaled back to the present-day Realm which control over three million square kilometers of territory.

Table of Contents

Quick Facts

Full Name: Cotlands Rike (The Realm of Cotland)
Common Name: Cotland
Official Language: Cottish
National Capital: Oslo
Largest City: Petersborg
Form of Government: Parliamentary Monarchy
Head of State: King SVERRE II (since February 8, 2010)
Head of Government: Chancellor Terje HOLE (Moderate Party) (since 31 August 2003)
Seat of State: Oslo, Norway
Seat of Government: Oslo, Norway
Independence: 7 June, 957
Constitution: 17 May, 1814
Total Land Area: 3.226.751,99 km²
Total Water Area: 275.829,08 km²
Total Area: 3.502.581,07 km²
Population: 631,241,000 (2012 census)
Population Density: 195,63 people/km²
Currency: Rikskrone (CRK)
Exchange Rate: CRK 1 = $1.8108
Total GDP: $25.882.148.000.000,00
GDP per Capita: $41,002.00
Internet TLD: .cot
Calling Code: +30

by **Cotland** » Sat Oct 23, 2010 6:46 am

Government & Politics of the Realm of Cotland

Government
As of 1 January 2017, Realm of Cotland is administratively divided into the following:

The Realm of Cotland are subdivided into 23 provinser (provinces), as well as a number of overseas territories.
The provinces are subdivided into 437 fylker (counties) and 34 byfylker (city counties).
The counties are subdivided into 10,429 herred (municipalities).

National Administration

The Realm of Cotland is the Nation of Cotland, and is the highest level of government in Cotland.

Since 1814, the governance of Cotland has been founded on parliamentary principles and is organized as a constitutional monarchy constrained by the Constitution of the Realm of Cotland of 1814, which divides power between an Executive, a Legislative and a Judiciary branch of government. This seperation of powers provides for a system of checks and balances, which is permeated further down the hierarchy of Cotland's administrative divisions.

The politics of Cotland take place within the framework of a parliamentary representative democracy, a constitutional monarchy and a decentralised unitary state in which the monarch of Cotland, King Sverre II, is head of state. Cotland is described as a nation state. Cottish politics and governance are characterized by a common striving for broad consensus on important issues, within both the political community and society as a whole.

The highest level of power in Cotland resides with the Monarch of Cotland, currently King Sverre II (since 2010) is awarded vast royal perogatives and powers under the Constitution, and is the head of state. Royal perogatives retained by the monarch includes the right to sack the national government and call for new elections, unlimited veto powers over legislation, the right to pardon convicted criminals, supreme authority over the armed forces, the power to declare war and peace, as well as ratifying treaties with foreign powers. Under Article 5 of the Constitution, the Monarch is placed above the law, and cannot be punished -- responsibility for the monarch's actions are placed on the shoulders of his advisors (read: the Cabinet).

While the monarch is guided by the executive (which is styled as the advisors to the monarch), he or she is free to disregard their advice. The monarch is constrained by the provisions of the Constitution, and observes these closely. The last time a monarch attempted to put the constitution aside was in 1826 when King Hallvard III was deposed after attempting to put the constitution aside and replaced by his eldest son, King Eirik V.

The executive powers is exercised by the Cabinet of Cotland (regjeringen), presided over by the Chancellor (kansler) who is first among equals. The Cabinet is responsible for administrating the various ministries of Cotland, and conducting day-to-day administration and governance of Cotland.

The legislative powers are vested in both the Cabinet and in Rikstinget, the national parliament of Cotland.

The judiciary powers are vested in the High Courts of Cotland which is independent from the executive and legislative powers, and is responsible for ensuring that bills and legislation do not violate the Constitution of Cotland. Members of the judiciary are nominated by the executive (conventionally by recommendation of the judiciary itself), formally appointed by the monarch and employed until retirement. Since there are no constitutional or administrative courts, the Supreme Court deals with a constitutional dimension.

Cotland has a multi-party system, with two strong parties, and five or six other significant parties. Since the mid-2000s, the Conservative party has enjoyed majority in Rikstinget.

Local Administration

A provins is the highest sub-national administrative division covering a certain geographical area of Cotland, and is divided into counties or county-equivalents, which may be assigned some local governmental authority but are not sovereign. The province has many powers subvested to it from the national government, including responsibity for the administration and local legislation of important matters such as property, education, social welfare and medical services.

The province has its own ting (assembly), which is elected every four years from popular vote. The province is supervised by a provincial governor, appointed by Royal Appointment, a mostly ceremonial position responsible for supervising that the ting does not violate the Constitution of Cotland.

The province boundaries also roughly corresponds with the judiciary for the court of appeals, which is the second tier of the judicial branch of government.

The province is historically the area controlled by a hertug (Duke), and is therefore sometimes referred to as a hertugdømmet (Duchy).

A fylke is an administrative division set by convenient geographical demarcations. The fylke has the right to levvy taxes on private income and commercial income. In turn, the fylke is responsible for the administration of higher education, local hospitals, healthcare and emergency services (sans firefighting), law enforcement, public transport, culture and regional roads. It is also responsible for supervising municipalities and receive complains from people on actions of municipalities. It also controls areas where the government needs local direct ruling outside the municipalities. The county is responsible for maintaining a police department in urban areas, which in turn answers to the provincial chief of police and the national police force. The county boundaries also roughly corresponds with the local courts of law, which are the lowest tier of the judicial branch of government.

Each county has its own county council (fylkesting) whose representatives are elected every four years by popular vote together with representatives to the municipal councils. The county governor is in turn chosen from the county council from the party or group that won the popular vote.

Similarly sized administrative divisions in Cottish territorial holdings outside Cotland proper are referred to as a syssel, and has a governor appointed by the King of Cotland with veto powers over the local government, but otherwise the syssel and fylke are equal.

A county also corresponds with an electorate district, responsible for electing one representative to Rikstinget, Cotland's national parliament.

Historically, a fylke was the area controlled by a greve (Count), and is therefore sometimes referred to as a grevskap (county). The county is still used by the Armed Forces as a geographical recruitment boundary for Army regiments.

Forty-one of Cotland's largest cities, including Oslo are administratively organized into seperate byfylker (city counties), which is a level of government which combines the rights and responsibilities of both county and municipality.

A herred is the lowest local administrative division, and enjoys partial autonomy in local matters. The municipality has the right to levvy tax on property, and is responsible for local administration in matter such as social welfare, primary education, culture, local infrastructure (local roads, water, gas, sewage and garbage disposal), fire departments, and local administrative matters and planning.

Historically, a herred was responsible for organizing one hundred men for warfare, either as a company-sized unit or as four boat crews. This distinction fell out of use in the 1600s with the rise of an organized armed force.

The highest political organ in the herred is the municipal council (herredsstyret), which is elected every four years at the same time as the provincial elections. The municipal council is elected by popular vote from the local population in the herred, who then in turn chose a mayor from the party or group that won the popular vote. The herred also has a local administration with a permanent staff headed by a rådmann (chief councillor).

Overseas Possessions

The Cottish Realm's unique state of internal affairs is acted out in the principle of "The Unity of the Realm". This principle is derived from Article 17 of the Cottish Constitution which specifies that constitutional law applies equally to all areas of the Cottish Realm. The Constitutional Act specifies that sovereignty is to continue to be exclusively with the authorities of the Realm (the Cottish government and parliament). Cottish protectorates and overseas possessions' self-governance cannot be established by international treaties but must be established by Cottish law; the Cottish parliament (the Riksting) delegates a precisely defined part of its competence to the home rule authorities.

The language of Cotland is Cottish, and the Cottish state authorities are based in Cotland. The Kingdom of Cotland's parliament, with its 474 members, is located in the capital, Oslo. Three of the parliament's members are elected in each of Scotland; the remaining 471 members are elected in Cotland. The Government ministries are located in Oslo, as is the highest court, the Supreme Court.

In principle, the Cottish Realm constitutes a unified sovereign state, with equal status between its constituent parts. Devolution differs from federalism in that the devolved powers of the subnational authority ultimately reside in central government, thus the state remains de jure unitary.

The Self-Government Arrangements devolves political competence and responsibility from the Cottish political authorities to the overseas local political authorities. The local authorities administer the tasks taken over from the state, enact legislation in these specific fields and have the economic responsibility for solving these tasks. The Cottish government provides an annual grant to the local authorities to cover the costs of these devolved areas.

Voting

All citizens of Cotland can run for office, provided that they don't have criminal records or have reduced mental faculties. The Constitution of Cotland also demands that anyone running for office must have been a citizen of Cotland for no less than ten years, and must be above the legal suffrage.

Similarly, the right to vote is universal for both male and female citizens of the Realm, starting the year the citizen reach the age of 18 and thus reach legal suffrage, provided that their mental faculties are not reduced (read: the citizen isn't mentally retarded). The right to vote is forfeited by citizens if he or she commits acts of criminality and is punished for this in a court of law. It is mandatory for any citizen convicted of a felony in a Cottish court of law to forfeit the right to vote for a period of ten years after release from prison.

Judiciary

The Judicial Branch of the Realm of Cotland is independent of the other two branches of Government and is vested in the system of courts, which is a four-tier system. The courts interpents and applies the laws of Cotland in the name of the Monarch and the State, and provides a mechanism for the resolution of disputes. The Judiciary is not responsible for the creation or enforcement of laws, but rather for the interpetation and application of laws to the facts of each individual case. While the Judicial Branch is not meant to create laws, it has the power to change laws through the process of judicial review. The courts with judicial review power (the Supreme Court of the Realm in the case of national legislation and Provincial Superior Courts in the case of provincial and local legislation) may annul the laws and rules of the State when it finds them incompatible with the provisions of the Constitution, under the principle of Lex Superior.

Supreme Court of Cotland

The highest tier is the Supreme Court of Cotland, which is the highest court in Cotland. All appeals from the Superior Courts are directed to the Supreme Court, although a Selection Board investigate every appeal that is issued. The Supreme Court will only deal with appeal cases where there has been administrative errors, wrongful use of the legislation, or constitutionally important cases. The Selection Board consists of five Supreme Court Justices.

Once a case is approved by the Selection Board, the case is heard in the Great Hall of the Supreme Court in Oslo before a tribunal of nine Supreme Court Justices headed by the Chief Justice. The Supreme Court can overturn a verdict and order the sentenced free, or alternatively order it returned to the Court of Appeals for new process in the event of wrongful use of the law. The ruling of the Supreme Court is absolute and can not be appealed.

Superior Courts of Cotland

At the Provincial level, we find the Superior Courts, which is where appeals from the Court of Appeals are heard. Here, the court consists of five judges, who hear the case and decide on the question of guilt. There is one Superior Court for each Province. Apart from the criminal court role, the Superior Court is responsible for reviewing legislation from the Provincial legislatives for Constitutional compliance prior to being passed into law. There are eleven Superior Courts in Cotland.

Courts of Appeal of Cotland

The next tier is the Court of Appeals which is located at the County level, which is where all appeals cases as well as all cases involving capital crimes are heard. Here, the court consists of a tribunal of three judges and a jury of ten citizens. The cases are heard, and the jury will decide on the question of guilt. It should be noted that the judges may, if they are in agreement, decide to override the decision of the jury, although the reasons for this must be explained. Sentencing is left in the hands of the judges. The Court of Appeals is the lowest tier that is permitted to issue the death penalty. There are 338 Courts of Appeals in Cotland.

Local Courts of Cotland
The lowest tier is the Local Court, which are responsible for handling cases within their jurisdiction, often spanning over one to four municipalities. Almost all court cases, save for capital crimes, pass through the local courts, though non-violent charges and law suits may be resolved out of court in the Conflict Council, where the two parties meet under the supervision of a judge and discuss their conflict, often ending the conflict with a resolution that is mutually acceptable and, more importantly, keep these often trivial cases out of the courts. Back in the local court, the cases are heard before a single judge. Jury courts are not used on the local level.

by **Cotland** » Sat Oct 23, 2010 7:05 am

by **Cotland** » Sat Oct 23, 2010 7:11 am

Demographics of Cotland

The Demographics of Cotland are as follows:

Age & Sex

The Realm of Cotland currently number approximately 631,000,000 citizens. This makes for an average population density of 195.63 persons per square kilometer. The population distribution is uneven, with much of the population concentrated in the urban areas along southern parts of the Scandinavian peninsula and the southern parts of the Eastern Territories. About 58% of the population lives in towns and cities, with seven million living in the Greater Oslo Metropolitan Area alone. Above the Arctic Circle, however, the average population density is only at 7 persons per square kilometer.

The age and sex distribution is slewed towards the younger part of the population, with the age group of 0-14 years making up 28.6% of the population. The age group 15-64 years make up 68.3%, while the remaining 3.1% of the population fall into the category of 65 years and over. 45.28% of the Cottish population is male, while the remaining 54.72% are female. This means that there are 0.83 males per female. Still, the fertility rate is high, with each woman giving on average birth to 3.1 children. Combined with a low infant mortality rate of 3.1 deaths per 1,000 live births, this makes for an annual population growth ratio of 1.09%. Whether this is a permanent occurance or just a natural swing in the curve is unknown for the Census Board.

A Cottish male born in 2010 expected to live to the ripe old age of 69.25 years, while a Cottish female born in 2010 is expected to live until she is 73.28 years old. This is down from the last Census of 2000, and is probably connected to lingering effects of the Cottish Flu Pandemic as well as the volatile world we live in.

Ethnicity & Religion

Ethnically, Cotland remains a largely homogenous population with 89.83% of the population being Cottish (Nordic Caucasian). Layartebian (3.61%), Slavic (3.15%) and Baltic (2.11%) are major ethnic minorities in Cotland, while 1.30% of the population are of other ethnicities.

Religious lines largely follow the ethnical lines, with 82.57% of the population claiming affiliation to traditional Åsatru. Layartebian Paganism has a following of 2.67% of the population, while Judaism has a following of 1.21%. Christianity has a following of 4.05%, while Islam holds 0.69% of the believers in Cotland. 6.31% of the population does not hold religious beliefs, while 1.50% of the population following other religions.

The Åsatru maintained its followers as Christianity never really took a hold in Cotland. As a result, Cotland took a while to overcome the traditional rites of this tradition, with human sacrifice being banned as late as 1614. Animal sacrifices during religious feasts remain a staple of the Åsatru religion. As a result, there is a strong seperation between religion and government in Cotland.

Education & Language

Despite the difficulties the Cottish population has gone through in the past few years, the Cottish education system has not been permanently affected, as the natural literacy, which is defined by how large a percentage of the age over 15 years can read and write, remains at virtually 100%. 100% of the Cottish population has gone through a mandatory 10-year primary education, while 98% of the population has taken secondary ecuation. Additionally, 42% of the total population has chosen to seek higher education. This high number of the population seeking higher education is at least partially explained by the Government's increased focus in recent years on education and the relatively large numbers of government-subsidized seats of higher learning, which can be attended free of charge for citizens of the Realm who have completed National Service.

Language-wise, Cottish remains the official language of Cotland, and is known by 100% of the population. Of these, 91.1% have Cottish as their primary language, with English and Russian forming the two largest minority languages at 5.2% and 3.7% respectively. Additional regionally recognized official languages include Sami, Finnish, Baltic, and German.

by **Cotland** » Sat Oct 23, 2010 7:13 am

Economy of the Realm of Cotland

by **Cotland** » Sat Oct 23, 2010 7:14 am

Culture of the Realm of Cotland

The culture of Cotland is an ancient and distinguished culture, proud of its nation' thousand year history. Over these thousand years, the culture has changed profoundly, from the ancient Viking society to the modern, relatively liberal society we find in Cotland today. Several major periods distinguish themselves when one look at the events that has helped to shape Cottish culture.

Era of Vikings

The first period, the Viking era, is hailed as the beginning of the Cottish culture. In this period, ranging from well before 700 AD to 1465 AD, the Cottish society first began to form. Starting in this period, women stood on equal legal ground as the men, although it was commonly accepted that the men were superior to the women. Marriages could be arranged, although that was more common for those of noble standing than for the normal folk. The religion was a major focal point at the time, and those who trespassed against the deities were harshly punished. Organization was done primarily around the village structure, a permanent settlement lead by a nobleman known as a jarl (Earl). The jarl answered to the local king, who's kingdom usually consisted of nothing more than a couple of villages. The King was considered to be the representative of the gods and goddesses, and hence he reigned with absolute power as no one would dare to question the will of the Gods. Literacy rates were very low, as only a very few knew how to read and write the ancient runes, with the majority of these being the village cleric, who served as the priest, doctor, scribe and teacher within his village. The primary responsibilities of the people in this time were to support themselves and those in the village, and to conduct trade with other villages and far-away peoples. The early Cots were traders of nature, and very skilled seafarers. This helped the Cottish people spread far, and it wasn't uncommon for a young Cot to leave his or her village and not return for many years, having settled in another area.

Around 957 AD, the Cottish nation was formed when King Harald I Hårfagre vanquished the various local kings and united the land under one Realm, forming the Realm of Cotland. This had very little effect on the culture though, other than sowing a spire that would develop into the sense of nationalism that any modern Cot has today. With the unification of Cotland, the focus was gradually shifted from internal strife to the world outside Cotland, and a wave of incursions and raids onto foreign shores by Cottish adventurers and raiders, commonly known as viking, started a era of expansion and the start of what would eventually become the Cottish Overseas Empire. This era is still celebrated as an integral part of Cottish culture and history to this day.

Around 1000 AD, a new religion called Christianity started making an appearance. There was much unrest during this period, which is partially attributed to the way the people were converted to Christianity. Those who refused to convert peacefully were forced to convert under threat of death, and those who still refused were slain through the forced ingestion of living serpents, which stung the victim from within and caused him or her to die a horrible death. This caused a significant aversion against the new religion, resulting in several battles and thousands of people killed. Eventually, the attempt of converting Cotland to Christianity failed with the death of King Olav II Digre in 1030. Following the failure of Christianity to grab hold, the Christian moral beliefs that altered the moralities of Europe never took hold in Cotland, leading Cotland to eventually become a beacon of personal liberties for oppressed men and women alike. The attempted forced conversion of Cotland also generated a counter-reaction, with missionaries returning to Cotland over the years becoming favorite targets for human sacrifices to the gods and an increase in viking raids and plundering of Christian monestaries throughout Europe.

Occasional viking aside, the Cottish remained merchants and maintained strong commercial ties with Europe, despite being denounced as "heathen savages" by Christendom, and trade flowed strongly once the Christians learned that attempting to convert the Cottish merchants was a particularly bad idea.

During the 1100s and the start of the 1200s, the first Cottish Civil War raged through the country, causing widespread suffering and instilled a strong sense of local belonging. It wasn't until King Håkon IV finally defeated Eystein Bagle at the Battle of Svolder in 1217 that the Civil War ended, resulting in a strong central power that encompassed many areas that had previously been left up to the jarls to decide.

The Black Death ravaged through Cotland between 1349 and 1353, killing between 20 and 40 % of the population, causing a decline in both the society and economics. The lesser impact the Black Death had on Cotland contra the rest of Europe is partially attributed to the Cottish cultural penchant for good personal hygiene and taking regular baths, something the Christian countries did not do particularly often. As a result, Cotland recovered relatively quickly, and had returned to pre-Black Death population numbers within 50 years.

Over the years, Cottish cultural life thrived. Men and women were relatively equal, women could own property and had an equal say to men in things, the gods were worshiped and animals and the occasional criminal or captured enemy warrior were sacrified in their honor, and commerce was the lifeblood of the economy. Cultural influences from abroad caused an explosion of artwork of both the visual and musical varieties. Engineering developments led to massive constructions being erected. Engineering masterpieces of this era remains the Nidaros Hov in Trondheim and the Wolf's Castle in Svea.

A second attempt at converting Cotland to Christendom took place in the mid-1400s with the death of King Valdemar I and Cotland falling into a political vaccum as Valdemar died without issue, with the Pope in Rome declaring a Crusade against Cotland in an attempt to convert Cotland to Christendom. The Cottish rallied under the leadership of Karl I, a cousin of Valdemar on his mother's side who was hailed as King at the Gulating in 1459, and assembled the Leidang. King Karl was a military genious, and was responsible for the formation of what was to be the Royal Cottish Army, the first standing army in the history of Cotland. The first clash the new Army had with the combined armies of Europe was during the Battle of Koster in 1460, where a Christian army 66,000 strong was brutally crushed by the 45,000 Cottish strong Army over the course of twelve hours and the survivors sacrified to Odin and Tor as thanksgiving for the glorious victory.

Over the next two years, the Cottish forces held their own against repeated attempts to invade Cotland, before King Karl fell in the Fourth Battle of København, where he personally led a cavalry charge against the Christian forces besieging that great city. King Karl was succeeded by his son Torstein I, who was fed up with the constant attacks and decided to take the fight to the Christians with the hitherto largest viking raid in history. In 1463, Torstein led an army 100,000 strong backed up by 2,000 ships on a rampage throughout Europe, raping and pillaging for two years and devestating the lands. The rampage did not end until the Cottish had sacked Paris, capturing the Pope who had taken up residence there and very publically sacrificing him to Odin before issuing terms to the surviving leadership of Europe to end the crusade and leave the Cottish alone to worship as they pleased, and the Cottish would leave the Europeans alone to worship as they chose. Wisely enough, the European powers agreed. Thus ended the era of the Viking.

Enlightenment

The period following the Era of the Vikings is known as the Age of Enlightenment. While Cotland didn't immediately change, cultural influences from Europe started to return home to Cotland with merchants trading with Europe and Layarteb, telling tales of the new ideas and influences. Education started to become a thing, and great works of art started appearing. Critical thinkers started making noises, and while they were suppressed by the King as quickly as they appeared, their ideas started grabbing hold. However, it wasn't until the late 1500s that the ideas of the renaissance and enlightenment really started grabbing hold.

The people of Cotland already had a great amount of liberties, especially in terms of self-governance in the form of the ting where local matters were decided. What was new was the increased tolerance of foreign ideas and religions. Starting in the late 1500s, the Cottish stopped tolerating widespread human sacrifices of those who had differing ideas, and petitioned for the establishment of a seperate ting that the King would have to listen to. Until now, there were only the local tings who chose one representative to go to the King's court when they had something that was deemed necessary to bring to the King's attention. Now, they wanted a permanent presence near the King and to have their voices heard. The King was less than impressed with this, and attempted to outlaw the tings themselves in 1606. This caused the people to rise against the King, leading to the Second Civil War. After two years of warfare, King Henrik II fell at the Battle of Oslo in 1608 alongside his three sons, ending the royal house. This resulted in a ceasefire as the two sides met to negotiate a peaceful solution, resulting in the establishment of the Great Ting (Stortinget) in 1608 as a prerequisite for electing King Hallvard II as King. This was the first successful act of limiting the powers of the King, who had enjoyed nearly absolute powers since the end of the first Civil War.

One of the milestones of Enlightenment was the banning of human sacrifice in 1614, marking a milestone in the transformation of Cotland from a very religious society towards a modern liberal nation. Another milestone was the banning of unsanctioned piracy in 1627. As a sign of the changing winds, the Royal Cottish Navy was directed by King Hallvard and Stortinget to launch a counter-piracy campaign against pirate chieftans which lasted twelve years, leading to a downsurge in reported acts of piracy in Europe and Layarteb.

Over the next decades, the philosophy and scientific advances of the Renaissance slowly took hold over Cotland, leading to a downsurge in religion and solidified the seperation of religion and state in Cotland. In 1666, freedom of religion was formalized in Cottish law, allowing Christian missionaries to enter Cotland again for the first time in 600 years. However, due to the well-known history of Christianity in Cotland and the tales about conditions the Christians lived in brought home from merchants led to the missionaries mostly being met with a cold shoulder by the average Cot. Consequently, Christianity never took a hold in Cotland.

Starting in the mid-1700s, Cotland managed to join the Industrial Revolution through clandestine means, stealing the blueprints for several inventions that were put into use and production in Cotland. Over the next fifty years, Cotland went from a mostly rural society to an industrial urbanized society, with all the consequences this entailed.

With the Enlightenment and Industrial Revolution hitting the Cottish nation in the 1700s, the people started to feel discontent with the way things were and always had been. They had many freedoms and liberties, but slavery remained in effect in Cotland. Criminals were often sentenced to endure slavery, and there was an entire caste of people who lived in slavery without any rights. With the ideas of Enlightenment taking hold and the Industrial Revolution introducing machinery that could do the job that one previously had to use human labor to do, slavery was rapidly starting to become a losing investment as the slaves had to be fed and clothed. Additionally, the Cottish were coming around to the idea that keeping human beings as slaves was becoming an ever more repulsive, and ever more vocal and widespread demands started to be made for the end of slavery. As a result, slavery was officially banned in 1811, freeing the last of the slaves.

The ideas of Enlightenment culminated with the codification of the status quo in 1814, when Cotland was given its first real constitution, a legally binding document that provided a basis for the organization of the state, introducing the concept of seperation of powers, as well as defining what powers the monarch would retain for himself and what powers were to be devolved to the branches. The Constitution also defined that all elections should be free and open for all eligable for the vote. Initially, only male landowners above the age of 25 would be allowed to cast votes, but this was changed in 1822 to encompass all males and females above the age of 20. The Constitution of 1814 remains in effect to this day.

The Cottish Flu Pandemic

The culture was also shaped by the events of the modern era, such as the failed invasion of Cotland by the oppressive dictatorship of Sunnmore which was defeated in 1942 and which sparked the wars of expansion which has occurred with regular intervals up and into the early 2000s. With victories on the battlefields since 1942, the Cottish developed a sense of national pride and invincibility, the latter sense which was further encouraged by the Cottish entrance into the October Alliance in 1976 and which has helped save the Realm from disaster on several occasions since then.

However, one of the most influential events that has helped shape today’s modern culture was the Cottish Flu Pandemic of 2001, which ravaged Cotland and reduced Cotland’s population by more than 255 million people, and the subsequent invasion of Cotland by the Nerotikan Council State. The year-long war which became known as the Patriotic Liberation War in Cotland had a serious effect on the Cottish mentality, which combined with the extreme loss of life inflicted on Cotland was a national trauma which the Cottish continue to suffer from to this day. Where in the past, Cots could be depended on to be moderate and compromise-seeking, the events of the past ten years changed the Cottish mentality.

The last fifteen years had been a true test of strength and character for the people of Cotland. In rapid succession, the Cottish had been exposed to everything Murphy could have thought of and then some. An attempted revolution, a series of politically motivated murders and civil unrest, an attempted regicide against the King of Cotland, the fall of a number of Cotlands closest allies and trading partners, a pair of enemy invasions from the east, including one partially successful Nerotikan invasion that had left substantial parts of Cotland's eastern territories under enemy occupation for nine months before the Cottish were finally able to muster the strength needed to kick the invaders out, and lastly, but not least, a devastating pandemic that had swept the land and left more than half of Cotlands population – hundreds of millions of people – dead. It went without saying that the Cottish population was left traumatized by these events which had rocked the foundations of the civilization and its humanity. An entire generation of Cots were brutalized by their experiences in the Patriotic Liberation War, and left them with a radicalized and uncompromising view towards many areas where they previously would be willing to see alternatives.

This has all helped to shape the Cottish culture anno 2017. The Realm of Cotland, as Cotland is known as, is a constitutional monarchy which still enjoys the safety of living in a free nation where both sexes has equal opportunities and where the people are well aware of their rights as citizens, workers, and human beings. However, rights are always accompanied by duties. Schooling is mandatory up to the 10th grade, and while attendance of High School is voluntary, it is strongly encouraged. Immediately after High School, all youths must undergo their mandatory 24-month National Service, whether it be in the military (for most males) or in the local communities, working at schools, retirement homes, hospitals, et cetera (all who does not enter the military, and conscientious objectors). As a result of this mandatory unisex National Service, the youth make a difference for the nation, something which help their self-esteem, and they bond, meeting people their age from all over Cotland. This helps on the national feeling, and is paramount in maintaining the feeling of nationalism that's reigned throughout Cotland since the early 1800s. The sense of nationalism has been greatly emphasized by the Cottish Flu Pandemic and Patriotic Liberation War. Also as a partial result of the National Service, extensive welfare programs are offered to any citizen of the Realm.

The Cottish nation prides itself in the low crime rates, which is partially thanks to the national feeling, but mostly thanks to the extremely strict punishments in the otherwise liberal legislature. Justice is very important in the modern Cottish culture, and courts are highly effective, normally having reached a verdict within a maximum of three months after the criminal has been apprehended. One thing that describes the Cottish legal system is common sense: Frivolous lawsuits are harshly punished. In terms of economics, the Cottish nation relies on capitalism with certain modifications, primarily those aimed at workers rights and the often and strict smack-downs on corruption, which is a capital offense in the Realm. In terms of taxation, the average Cot enjoy a flat 20 % tax rate, giving the people a significant amount of money to spend while at the same time providing the Government with a plentiful treasury with which to serve its citizenry. With the focus on modern technology, education and healthcare, it is only natural that modern Cotland enjoy a high HDI of 0.899. However, every Cot knows that it is his or her responsibility to make sure their way of life remains that way, and will therefore defend their nation with all means necessary when it becomes necessary. There is a strong sense of national unity and community in present-day Cotland.

by **Cotland** » Sat Oct 23, 2010 7:16 am

Foreign Policy of the Realm of Cotland

Cotland has historically been a very active player in the field of international relations, and after a ten-year period of relative isolationism while the national focus was on Reconstruction and recovering from the Cottish Flu Pandemic and the devestating Patriotic Liberation War, Cotland has started to return to the field of International Relations with a new and more active Foreign Policy.

by **Cotland** » Sat Oct 23, 2010 7:22 am

History of the Realm of Cotland

by **Cotland** » Sat Oct 23, 2010 9:01 am

Military of Cotland

See: Armed Forces of the Realm of Cotland.

The Armed Forces of the Realm of Cotland is the organization responsible for the territorial defence of the Realm of Cotland and its interests. The Armed Forces are organized under the purview of the Ministry of Defence, which answers to the National Government and Rikstinget.

Organization

The Armed Forces of the Realm of Cotland (AFRC for short) consist of three branches. These are the Royal Cottish Army (RCA), the Royal Cottish Navy (RCN), and the Royal Cottish Air Force (RCAF). Additionally, the AFRC includes the Armed Forces Logistics Organization (AFLO), the Intelligence Service (CIS) and the Special Operations Command (SOKDA), which are Joint Service Commands that contain personnel from all three branches and, in the case of AFLO and CIS, civilian employees.

Paramilitary Forces of Cotland includes the Security Police, controlled by the Interior Ministry which is 600,000 strong paramilitary Gendarmerie, used to support and reinforce local police forces in times of trouble and crisis, deal with large-scale riots, internal armed conflicts, prison security, and safeguarding highly important facilities such as nuclear power plants. During wartime, the Security Police fall under Armed Forces military command and fulfill the missions of local defence and rear area security.

Other paramilitary forces include the Border Police, which is a 200,000 strong border protection force controlled by the Interior Ministry. Equipped and trained as light infantry, the Border Police have police powers in the border zones and are responsible for patrolling Cottish national borders and for customs duties in designated border crossings.

Aspects of the Armed Forces

Conscription

National Military Service in Cotland is mandatory, beginning at age eighteen, for male and female citizens. Annually, an estimated 5,778,000 males and 6,015,000 females reach military age. Of these, an estimated 5,138,000 males and 5,236,000 females are found to be fit for military service and are liable for induction into the Armed Forces.

In the year that the Cot reach age eighteen, he or she is summoned to the local Military Screening Commission where a small series of tests and medical checks are preformed, along with a brief interview with a screening officer in order to determine the motivation for service and service preferences of the individual youth. Conscripts can be assigned to Civilian National Service for conscientious reasons, but only after having gone through an extensive interview where they have to convince the Screening Commission that they cannot carry out military service. Based on quotas assigned by the Ministry of Defence's Personnel Office, the Military Screening Commission either assign recruits to one of the armed services or grant deferments. Assignments are based on the physical attributes, education, skills, and to some extent the wishes of individual conscripts. Several elite units are composed exclusively of volunteers. They include Air Force and Naval pilots, Paratroops, the Submarine Service, Naval Commandos, and certain Army Reconnaissance units. Because of the large number of candidates, these units are able to impose their own demanding selection procedures. The Air Force and Naval Aviation enjoy first priority, enabling it to select for its pilot candidates the prime volunteers of each conscript class.

An estimated 80% of all fit males (3,842,000) and 15% (750,000) of all fit females are selected for military service, while the rest of the year class is assigned to various forms of Civilian National Service beneficial for the community. Included in this group are conscientious objectors. All Cots are obligated to preform National Service for a continuous period of 24 months, which usually starts upon graduation from High School, though deferments can be issued to those not deemed fit for service such as persons with mental health issues, persons who are handicapped, or who have families to care for. Additionally, Cottish subjects from outside the Realm who have resided in the Realm for less than two years, clergy of any denomination, students, or those who are already engaged in vital industries or occupations deemed "essential services" are granted deferments from conscription. Annually, an estimated 1,995,000 persons are excempted from conscription. The remainder (approximately 960,000 males and 4,250,000 females) are assigned to Civilian National Service. This is carried out in non-profit governmental bodies and institutions such as healthcare facilities, retirement homes, schools and kindergartens, or in one of the Government's agencies. Civilian national servicemembers are also assigned to do duty in the Civil Defence Service (used to protect the civilian population from the effects of war) or the National Labor Service (used as labor in forestry, agriculture and construction of various governmental projects). Typically, females are assigned to healthcare and school-related work, while males are assigned to the Civil Defence and Labor Services.

Training

The conscript usually reports for duty in January or July of the year he or she turns nineteen, depending on which part of the year he or she was born in. The Initial Military Training ("basic" or "boot camp") takes place in one of the regional Recruit Training Depots, of which there are five belonging to the Army, two belonging to the Navy, and two belonging to the Air Force, and this is where the conscript first meets military life. In the nine weeks that Initial Military Training lasts, the conscript learns the basic tenets of the Cottish military ("self-discipline, sacrifice, loyalty, obedience"), basic marksmanship and combat training, learning military etiquette, large amounts of physical training, and the teaching of theoretical knowledge (rights and obligations of a soldier). After the first three weeks of training, the conscripts take the soldier's oath of allegiance.

Following completion of the Initial Military Training, which is almost identical for all conscripts regardless of branch and service, the conscript is "promoted" from recruit to private and is assigned to a specific "job" and is subsequently sent off to Advanced Military Training in one of the many different branch schools. Depending on the "job" the conscript will preform, Advanced Military Training range from six to twenty weeks in duration. Upon completion of Advanced Military Training, in most cases, the conscript can choose what posting to serve out the remainder of his or her National Service period from the principle that the conscript with the best result in the course chooses first, then the next best, then the next one, etc.

The first six months of service is considered to be a "basic skills period", where the basic skills of the profession are taught and rehearsed endlessly. After being assigned to units, training continues. The conscript will take part in a number of exercises and training sessions where they hone their skills. The second six-month period is considered an "advanced skills period" where the conscript continue to hone and their skills.

In the case of the Army, the unit which receives conscripts isn't considered to be combat-ready until the conscripts inducted into its ranks have completed their first year of service. It is customary for a ground forces division and brigade to consist of conscripts from a single conscript class, in order to have conscripts in similar levels of training and experience (or lack thereof) within its ranks. the Navy and Air Force, on the other hand, give conscripts extensive "on the job training" from the get-go by senior enlisted personnel.

After the first year of National Service, the conscripts are considered to be fully fledged soldiers, and are treated accordingly. They can be and are deployed overseas as directed by the political authorities, either for training with allied powers or for military operations.

Pay and Benefits

Traditionally, conditions of service in the Armed Forces were spartan; Cottish soldiers served out of a patriotic desire to defend the homeland rather than for material benefits. During the 1970s, however, as manpower needs of the Armed Forces grew substantially-- particularly the requirement to attract skilled technicians from the civilian sector--material considerations became more important. The nearly continual cycle of increases in pay and benefits were meant to attract additional manpower and to compensate for the ever-rising cost of living.

Salaries for career soldiers were linked to salaries in the civilian sector; thus, compensation for education, skills, and responsibilities in the Armed Forces was at least commensurate with that in the civilian sector, where wages were largely standardized. In spite of the relatively high pay and allowances, conditions of service were often onerous and comforts were few. Accommodations within units were austere. Extended separations from family and frequent relocations were common. Career soldiers received supplements and benefits unavailable to civilians, but it was difficult, if not impossible, for a career soldier to moonlight, a practice prevalent among civilians.

Basic pay was low and, because it changed more slowly than other salary components, had become progressively less significant in the soldier's total pay. Supplements were added for cost of living and families, based on size. Costs of higher education and free medical care were provided for all family members, and exchange and commissary facilities offered substantial discounts on purchases. The Armed Forces subsidized housing in three ways: the Armed Forces could provide base quarters at minimal rents, long-term, low-interest loans for purchase of homes, or assisted rentals in the civilian market. A generous retirement program cover those who had completed ten years of service and reached the age of forty. Every officer with the rank of lieutenant colonel or above have a car for both official and private use; lower-ranking officers have the use of cars on a shared basis. During annual leave, an officer could go to one of several seaside family resorts operated by the Armed Forces.

Conscript soldiers receive pay and benefits far below those of the career soldier. Pay is minimal, amounting to about CRk 350 (~$640) a month for a Private in 2006. Married soldiers receive a monthly family allowance based on family income, as well as a rent and utility allowance. A demobilization grant of CRk 8,400 (~$15,270) is paid upon discharge, and unemployment compensation and a partial income tax exemption is available for up to one year. Discharged soldiers theoretically receive preference in hiring. Former conscripts choosing to settle in development areas can obtain favourable loans to purchase apartments.

Pay and benefits for the reservist while on active duty are also less than for the career soldier. Reservist pay is supplemented by pay from civilian employment. Employers regularly contribute a small percentage of the employee's salary to the National Security Fund, from which the employer then draw to pay the reservist while he or she is on active duty. Self-employed reservists can put money into the fund to receive a salary while on duty; if they choose not to contribute they receive only subsistence pay while on active duty. Reservists can use the post exchange only while on active duty.

Retired officers receive from 2 to 4 percent of their final pay for each year of service (annual final pay x 0,02-0,04 x years of service), depending on their job. Retired pilots, for example, receive 4 percent and are said to live quite comfortably in retirement. In addition, retired officers and NCOs continue to receive a reduced portion of their in-service benefits. Disabled veterans receive extra allowances and benefits. Retiring officers usually seek a second career; the Armed Forces helps with the transition into civilian life by offering occupational training (a course in business management, for example) and by paying the retired officer's full salary for up to one year depending on rank and seniority, while the officer search for satisfactory civilian employment.

Non-Commissioned Officers and Officers

The basic qualification for voluntary enlistment in the Armed Forces is completion of four years at the secondary school level (High School or Profession School), and completion of the National Military Service. Those with a University or technical college admission certificate can apply to become temporary career or regular officer candidates.

Junior NCO training lasts about fifteen months and stresses leadership qualities and practical skills. The training is two-fold, consisting of six months of theoretical training in a NCO School, followed by seven months of practical training with an active training unit, where the junior NCO serves in a training capacity as training instructors for conscripts. Upon completion, the junior NCO is promoted to OR-4 rank and assigned to an active unit.

An opportunity for further training leading to senior NCO rank (OR-5 or higher) usually comes after about five years of service (two years as conscript, three years as junior NCO). Particularly qualified NCOs are admitted to a one-year Senior NCO School whose graduates are posted as senior non-commissioned officers at OR-7 rank. Senior non-commissioned officers fill positions corresponding to Sergeant Major.

Officer candidates in the Army, Navy, and Air Force face a long, arduous training program. Those aspiring to be regular officers, as well as temporary career officers who serve up to twelve years on active duty, generally spend about five years in formal training programs in one of the three Academies. Officer candidates generally begin their career with nine months of basic training and specialized weapons training followed by forty-eight months at an Academy - the War Academy in Sankt Petersborg, the Air Force Academy in Rovaniemi, or the Naval Academy in Göteborg, all of which are integrated four-year colleges where the students are commissioned as OF-1 in the Armed Forces upon graduation.

A smaller number of senior Captains or Navy Lieutenants (OF-2) qualify for attendance at the four-month Staff Officer Course at the Royal General Staff College in Kostroma. Those officers with outstanding grades in the Staff Officer course and a generally excellent record (about 10 percent of the officers completing the course) are selected to undergo the twenty-four-month General and Admiral Staff Training Program, also offered at Kostroma. The remaining 90 percent attend an eight-week Staff Officer course in various specialties such as operations, logistics, personnel, and transportation. Promotion to the rank of Major (OF-3) follows completion of the course. Naval officers are offered equivalent courses at the Naval War College in Bergen, with equal promotion upon completion.

Field-grade officers not selected for General Staff training usually retire as Lieutenant Colonels or Commanders (OF-5); General Staff officers can expect to be promoted to Colonel or Navy Captain (OF-6). About 70 percent of the officers who reach the rank of General or Admiral have been selected from the General Staff group.

Reserves

After discharge, former soldiers remains in the Ready Reserve for four years, being liable for being called up for reservist training or war service at any given time. After this, the conscript is transferred to the Territorial Reserve, where he or she remains until the year he turns 35. From age 35 to age 54, the conscript is part of the War Reserve, which can be considered called up and organized only in the event of General War. Officers and NCOs are subject to recall until age sixty. Ready Reservists can be called up for one fifteen-day period of training a year and for any number of call-ups of up to thirty days in emergencies (barring mobilization). The average reserve unit assembles once every a year for fourteen to thirty days of refresher training. Reservists with crucial skills tend to be called up more frequently; less-skilled reservists or those in less vital units may not be called up at all.

The number of call-ups is determined in the annual defense budget in terms of reserve slots, each slot equivalent to 365 duty days. A total of 40,000 reserve slots were authorized in 2009, which permitted about 1,000,000 individual call-ups.

At any given time, the Cotland have 23,000,000 servicemen who have been discharged in the preceeding five years. These are considered to constitute the Inactive Ready Reserve. Of these, only an estimated 3,000,000 are required to bring all active Army divisions and brigades up to full authorized war strength within 72 hours. The additional troops are available as war attrittion replacements or can be used to form additional wartime divisions within two to three months, drawing upon vast war mobilization stockpiles of older equipment and weapons which could be used effectively as rear-area security or against second echelon enemy forces.

The total manpower force Cotland can draw upon in the event of a total war includes all able-bodied males up to age 55, which constitutes an extreme 150,000,000 men, or 31,6% of the population. Naturally, such mobilization is not possible nor planned for, but a significant amount of manpower resources are included in the Ready Reserve and the War Reserve.

Reserves, together with additional manpower and equipment mobilized in wartime, will substantially augment the considerable strength of the peacetime Cottish military.

by **Cotland** » Sat Jul 16, 2011 7:16 am

WHAT CHARACTERISES A COT AND COTTISH VALUES?

In the recent years, academicians, journalists, politicians, religious leaders, and numerous other opinion formers have carried on a lively debate over the existence of specific and exclusive Cottish values and common values. Apart from the language, any search for exclusively Cottish cultural features will quickly bring you to a road jam. This is because most of the time one points out a custom, a value or a rule applying to Cots; you may find that it also applies in one or more places outside the range of Cottish culture. Therefore, one has to identify the common set of customs, values and rules, which, put together, form the particular Cottish culture. Listed below are a few pointers.

THE COTTISH LANGUAGE
Over 99% of the population of Cotland speaks the official language, Cottish. The Cottish language has a special meaning, a special value, to Norwegian. The Cottish language is the only feature that they do not share with other nations. Cots (including Sami minorities) speak Cottish. Cots define themselves by the language. It gives them an identity as Cottish. They can express their feelings in Cottish language in a way, which is not possible for them to do in another language. The language is in essence the Cottish culture. They believe that they must guard their Cottish language and from extinction. Therefore, one of the most important steps to staying and living in Cotland and understanding Cottish people is learning and speaking the Cottish language.

SYMBOLISM
The flag, folk costumes, the land (or landscape), and the home are the major symbols of national unity. The Cottish flag is the people's flag. The is owned and flown not only by public agencies but by many individuals. In Cotland, almost all house-owners with a garden have a flagpole, on which they hoist the flag on holidays, 17th May (which is their national day), birthdays, 1st May, and whenever an opportunity arises. Walking into a residential area on a Saturday morning, the small flags placed by the roadside show where the inhabitants are preparing for party.

Folk or national costumes (bunad) are owned by large numbers of both men and women. Based on local traditional peasant apparel, women's costumes include elaborate skirts, blouses, jackets, stockings, and shoes adorned with silver pins and decorations.

The national anthem affirms a love for the land and the importance of the home as symbols of nationhood. Festive days in this home-centered society often feature a public celebration followed by gatherings of families and relatives in people's homes. Entertaining is done mostly at home, not at restaurants or bars. Homes are comfortable refuges and are decorated to express the identity of the family.

FOOD AND SOCIAL HABITS
Cottish food habits are a bit different from many other countries. Cots eat a lot of bread, mainly wholemeal bread. Bread is eaten for breakfast, with dinner and supper. Most work places have their own cafeteria where a hot lunch meal is served, and most Cots are used to having a hot lunch. Due to the hot meal, most Cots have their dinner meal in the late afternoon, between 4 P.M. and 7 P.M. The meal is sacred, and meals are often shared with family and close friends. If you are invited to share a meal with a Cot, it is considered very rude to reject.

Cots are as a rule very hospitable, though somewhat unsociable. Many foreigners regard Cots as being reserved and cold, but this is because most Cots may be reserved among strangers. Once a relationship has been established, they are warm and friendly. An old saying goes, "once you befriend a Cot, you have a friend for life." People of any age and background can make great new friends in Cotland. A key pointer is to maintain a sense of humour. While you wouldn't think it just by looking at them, most Cots have a strong sense of humour and value the ability to laugh it off and not take one's self or the situation too seriously.

THE ROYAL FAMILY
Cotland is a constitutional monarchy that divides responsibility between the parliament (Riksting) and the King's Council of state, which consists of a Chancellor and other ministers of state. The monarchy represents Cottish values, history, and traditions; it is the best insurance policy against foreign and strange values that are trying to corrode the roots of Cottish society. The monarchy is the best shield and rallying point for all Cots. Majority of Cottish are still proud of their royal family. Quite large number of the population enjoys keeping themselves informed on the lives of the royal family. There has been in past advocacy to abolish the system. Only a few small parties have in their manifestos or agenda to abolish the monarchy. Abolition of the monarchy is not in the offing as of now. Even politicians on the far left wing recognise that the monarchy is presently the best form of governance for the Cottish.

DEMOCRACY AND FREE SPEECH
The Cottish society is built upon democracy. Democracy means that everyone has a voice, the majority decides and the people's right to choose their own leaders. It also means that the majority should show respect to the minorities. Cottish people have developed their perception of democracy to extend to almost all contexts, in which Cottish come together. They hold elections for parents' councils in kindergartens, elementary school committees, and committees of property owner's associations, bridge clubs and sports clubs. To them, democracy is not merely a question of choosing representatives. Their perception of democracy includes the right to interfere, to ask questions about how they are govern, and to be heard. They expect to being catered for and be treated fairly even if they belong to the minority.

SHORT DISTANCE TO POWER AND AUTHORITIES
Most Cots believe that the distance between the Cottish population and power and authorities is short. For instance, they say our Riksting (Parliament), our government and our local government council (Kommune), even if they disagree politically about some of the laws adopted by the Riksting or may dislike the current governing party / coalition parties. In many other countries, people may have a quite different attitude towards power and authorities. A "you and us" attitude. The state is "theirs", and it is "they" who are responsible, not ordinary people.

MARRIAGE AND FAMILY
Marriages are supposed to be romantic love matches between two individuals with similar values and perspectives. Marrying for economic, social, or political reasons would seem improper to most Cots. Cots find it inconceivable that the family will decide whom their children are allowed to marry or not. In many other countries, it is inconceivable that a married woman is alone in a nightclub with makeup and provocative clothing - in cotland, it is normal. In Cotland, it is inconceivable that a boy prevents his sister from having boy friends. In many other countries, it is inconceivable that children discuss with their parents, but it is normal among Cots.

Currently, 43 percent of residents are married, compared with 54 percent in 1978. The divorce rate has doubled in the last twenty years. In this generation, married women have worked for pay outside the household to a greater degree than was the case in earlier generations. Still, family does matter to Cots, and the bar for getting a divorce is generally very high if there are children involved.

A PLACE IN THE LABOUR MARKET
It is important for Cots to be on the labour market. They identify with their work. They position themselves in relation to other people by their jobs. One of the first questions they ask when meeting a new person is what kind of work and position s/he occupies in the corporate hierarchy. They know from numerous surveys among unemployed persons that soon after the loss of job, they develop a feeling of minority as well as a feeling of guilt.

CONTRIBUTION TO THE COMMON GOOD
It is essential to Cots to be able to contribute by doing his/her share in the family, in the association, at work, and in the society. It is not acceptable to free wheel, to sponge, to be a burden. Many people think that the likely reason why a person is unemployed and living on unemployment benefit or social security benefits is that something is wrong with him/her. Even to retired people, it is important to contribute to the family with child-minding, cash contributions to families with children or with holiday trips for their grandchildren.

IT IS A MATTER OF PRESTIGE TO BE BUSY
Cots are very busy bodies. Most Cots will tell you that they do not have time for anything and that they are engaged doing something. Busyness is a habit and serves as a kind of protection. It has become a habit to such an extent that most people are busier in their retirement than during their time on the labour market. It is a matter of prestige to be busy on the job, and it is a matter of prestige to be busy as a pensioner.

COTTISH-IMMIGRANT RELATIONSHIP
Because immigration has been tightly controlled, immigrants from non-Northern countries have not constituted a large or visible minority until recently. Surveys have shown that outside of business dealings, relatively few Cots have contact with the immigrant populations. Those who have had informal contact with immigrants tend to be sympathetic and positive toward them, but those who have not had such contact tend to be somewhat less positive. Over 90 percent of the surveyed population agreed that immigrants should have the same job opportunities as native residents, affirming a basic belief in equality of opportunity.

Most Cots are against racism and racial discrimination, but does not like non-western immigrants to stay in the country.

CHILD READING
The national culture tends to be extremely child-centered. Ideally, children should be cooperative and independent. However, socialization tends to be somewhat permissive since children are not necessarily taught boundary-setting rules and manners early. Childhood lasts longer than it does in many other countries, with adolescence not ending before graduation from high school. Since numerous mothers are employed, many children are socialized in child care facilities, either privately or through the local authority. Paid babysitters, usually young girls, may provide child care in cities when grandmothers are not available.

Confirmation as a member of the church is an important rite of passage, and marks the beginning of the transition from adolescence to adulthood. The ceremony is followed by a party to which neighbours, friends and relatives are invited. Girls usually are given a bunad, or folk costume.

ETIQUETTE AND GENDER EQUALITY
Residents tend to be egalitarian, private, and noncompetitive. Gender equality is observed in most social settings. While people tend to use the polite or formal form of address with strangers, the use of the informal pronoun for personal address is almost universal once you get to know a Cot. Independence and self-sufficiency are valued. Being indebted by borrowing or receiving favors makes people uncomfortable. Individuals generally do not call attention to themselves through loud speech or flamboyant behavior. Personal space is respected, and so individuals stand well apart from each other when conversing. Punctuality is expected both in business and in social life.

SUMMARY
Most Cots believe in a society founded on love, care, fair distribution, respect for each other without discrimination and racism. Most Cots are social liberals. Socially, because they believe on solidarity and responsibility for the community. Liberal, because they have confidence in the individuals with tolerance for different beliefs, with strong emphasis on freedom of speech and individual rights. Liberals believe that the natural equilibrium and diversity are values that must underpin the specific environmental policy.

Just remember: A typical Cot is hard to find!

by **Cotland** » Sun Aug 12, 2012 9:27 am

Police Forces of Cotland

Rikspolitiet (National Police Forces
Rikspolitiet is the principal national-level law enforcement agency, operating under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Justice. Rikspolitiet has jurisdiction over violations of over 200 categories of national crimes, including but not limited to counterfeiting, economic and other white collar crimes, counter-narcotics, organized crime, significant violent crime, bank robberies, and more. Rikspolitiet is headquartered in Oslo, and is represented in every Cottish province with 89 field offices in major cities throughout Cotland, and more than 400 resident agencies in lesser cities and areas across the nation.

Sikkerhetspolitiet (Security Police Forces
Sikkerhetspolitiet (SiPo) is the principal internal security agency of Cotland, and answers to the Ministry of Interior. Its main responsibilities are within the borders of Cotland, and include counter-intelligence, internal security, investigating and preventing crimes against the state, counter-terrorism, and surveillance as well as investigating some other types of grave crimes and federal law violations. SiPo is headquartered in the Cottish capital city of Oslo, and is represented in every Cottish province.

Utrykningspolitiet (Highway Police Forces
Utrykningspolitiet (UP) is the national highway and transportation police force, tasked with enforcing traffic-related legislation, combatting highwaymen and roadside crime, as well as supporting local police forces as required. UP also patrols highways. UP is a national police force headquartered in Oslo and answers to the Ministry of Interior, and is divided into twenty-three districts, which roughly corresponds with the provincial boundaries.

Politiet (Local Police Forces
Each county is responsible for providing its own police force (Politikorps), which is responsible for enforce the law, protect property, and limit civil disorder. Their powers include the legitimized use of force. The internal structures of these police forces differ somewhat (which makes generalizations subject to local variation), but usually immediately subordinate to the police force are the county police department (Politidistrikt) who coordinates police efforts across municipal boundaries.

The police headquarters typically have direct control of the force’s specialist units such as mounted police detachments and canine units. Under the regional headquarters, there are several district police departments (Politiavsnitt) serving communities of from 20,000 to 100,000 citizens. Subordinate to each police district there are several local stations or precincts (Politistasjon) that are manned on a 24-hour basis, conduct day-to-day policing and serve as points of contact for local citizens. Below this level, the Politipost is a small police office manned by one or two officers, normally only during office hours.

Kongelige Gendarmeri (Royal Gendarmerie)
The Kongelige Gendarmeri is Cotlands national gendarmerie, and maintains law and order alongside the civilian police forces. The Kongelige Gendarmeri traces its history back to 1775, and had more than 400,000 employees in 2016. Despite being subordinated to a civilian police authority, the Kongelige Gendarmeri are a military force with centralized system of ranks, command and service. The chief commander and staff of the Kongelige Gendarmeri report only to the Ministry of the Interior, maintaining their separate chain of command.

Designed to be used to support and reinforce the various Police Forces, the Kongelige Gendarmeri deal with large-scale crowd control, internal armed conflicts, prison security and safeguarding of infrastructure such as railroads, ports and airports, and highly-important facilities such as nuclear power plants and research facilities. The Kongelige Gendarmeri is also responsible for maintaining law and order in the Cottish countryside and rural areas, while the civilian police forces are responsible for maintaining law and order within cities and larger urban centres. During wartime, the Kongelige Gendarmeri falls under armed forces military command and fulfill the missions of local defence and rear area security.

The main kinds of the Kongelige Gendarmeri are field units, prison security units, various facility-guarding units and special forces like Group Panter. The Kongelige Gendarmeri also have a series of special-purpose units including aviation and helicopter units, maritime forces, specialized tactical units, ceremonial units and static guard units. Since the 1980s, the special-purpose units that developed within the Kongelige Gendarmeri were created to deal with terrorism and hostage crises. Fields units are essentially light motorized infantry, similar to respective regular army units by their organization and weapons.

by **Cotland** » Sat Jan 05, 2013 10:46 am

Regions and Provinces of Cotland

Skandinavia

The Region of Skandinavia is a historical cultural-linguistic region in Northern Europe characterized by a common ethno-cultural Cottish heritage, and is situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula, the Danish islands and Jutland. The term Scandinavia is usually used as a cultural term, but in English usage, it is occasionally confused with the purely geographical term Scandinavian Peninsula, which took its name from the cultural-linguistic concept.

The southern and by far most populous regions of Scandinavia have a temperate climate. Scandinavia extends to the north of the Arctic Circle, but has relatively mild weather for its latitude due to the Gulf Stream. Much of the Scandinavian mountains have an alpine tundra climate. There are many lakes and moraines, legacies of the last glacial period, which ended about ten millennia ago.

The vast majority of the human population of Scandinavia are Cots, descended from several (North) Germanic tribes who originally inhabited the southern part of Scandinavia, who spoke a Germanic language that evolved into Old Cottish and who were known as Keutamen in the Early Middle Ages. The Vikings are popularly associated with Cottish culture. The Icelanders and the Faroese are to a significant extent, but not exclusively, descended from peoples retroactively known as Cots. The extreme north of Keutaland, as well as the most North-Western part of Finland, is home to the region's original inhabitants, the today's minority of Sami, who originally inhabited a much larger area, before the expansion of the Cots northward.

Keutaland

Danmark

Fennoskania

The Region of Fennoskania is a region made up by the Scandinavian Peninsula, Finland, Karelia and the Kola Peninsula.

The main factor influencing Fennoskania's climate is the country's geographical position between the 60th and 70th northern parallels in the Eurasian continent's coastal zone. In the Köppen climate classification, the whole of Fennoskania lies in the boreal zone characterized by warm summers and freezing winters. Within the region, the temperateness varies considerably between the southern coastal regions and the extreme north, showing characteristics of both a maritime and a continental climate. Fennoskania is near enough to the Atlantic Ocean to be continuously warmed by the Gulf Stream. The Gulf Stream combines with the moderating effects of the Baltic Sea and numerous inland lakes to explain the unusually warm climate compared to other regions that share the same latitude, such as Alaska, Siberia and southern Greenland.

Finland

Realm of Cotland (Factbook) [Earth II, Closed]

Realm of Cotland (Factbook) [Earth II, Closed]

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