Le Royaume de Nouvelle Rhodes Factbook (Do Not Post)

[Nouvelle Rhodes]

The Kingdom of Nouvelle Rhodes
Le Royaume de Nouvelle Rhodes
Il Regno di Nuovo Rodi

National Symbols
Animal: Peregrine Falcon
Plant: Iris Sanguinea
Sport: Fencing
Instrument: Tenor Saxophone
Motto: Latin--Pro Rex et Patria--English: For King and Country
Anthem: March of the Colossus

Capital: Fiorentina
Largest City: New Amsterdam
Official (de jure) Languages: French, English, Italian
Other Recognized (de facto) Languages: Latin, Greek, Arabic, Dutch, Spanish
Demonym: Rhodian/Rhodien

Government
-Multi-party, Federal Democratic Parliamentary Constitutional Monarchy
-Current Monarch: HRM King Maximilien IX
-Current Prime Minister: Rt. Hon. Sir Alfred van Rijn, MP
-Executive: Royal Council/Conseil Royale/Consiglio Reale
-Legislature: Parliament/Parlement/Parlamento
--Upper House: Senate/Sénat/Senato
--Lower House: National Assembly/Assemblée nationales/L'Assemblea nazionale
-Judicial: Supreme & Lower Courts/Cour suprême et cour basse/Corte suprema e bassa
-Auditory: Court of Auditors/Cour des comptes/Corte dei conti

Establishment
-Unification--May 29th, 1789
-Constitutional Act of Nouvelle Rhodes--May 29th, 1793
Population: 421 000 000

Area
-Total Area: 7 586 712 km²
-Density: 56 people/km²

Currency: Nouvelle Rhodes Napoléon (NRN)
GDP: $11 456 358 842 612.28 (NSD)
GDP per capita: $ 27 672.36 (NSD)
Gini Coefficient: .28
HDI (Human Development Index): 0.989; very high
Drives on the: Right
Calling Code: +9
Internet TLD: .nr

*all information is updated as of December 31st, 2009
*all economic information is provided from nseconomy

[Nouvelle Rhodes]

A Concise Guide to Nouvelle Rhodes

-A short guide for those new to our nation

National Stances
Communism: Neutral
Capitalism: Promotes
Socialism: Promotes
Fascism: Disagrees With
Anarchy: Disagrees With
Democracy: Promotes
Dictatorship: Disagree With
Republic: Neutral
Empire: Neutral
Technological developments: Promotes
Militarism: Neutral
Education and Science: Promotes
World Assembly: Positive.

Openly hostile nations:
None
Participation in major alliances:
- League of Republics (LoR)


Questionnaire
1 - What is the legal drinking age? 17

2 - Driving age? A road-intelligence test is taken at 15.5 years of age through school, and one can take a practical test after a mark of at least 70% on the road-intelligence test at 16

3 - Age of sexual consent? 16, unless under the influence of any illegal substance

4 - Voting age? The age of majority

5 - At what age would someone become an adult (free from parental control)? 17, however, a child can be emancipated under special circumstances by a judge at age 16.

6 - What types of recreational drugs (if any) are legal? Operating any vehicle or technological machinery that could unintentionally put others at risk is illegal with all substances.
Marijuana: Legal, regulated and heavily taxed
Tobacco: Legal, but tobacco must be inspected first and only the purest and least chemically modified tobacco products can be sold (that means none of that poison or crap in cigarettes).
Alcohol: Legal, price is unregulated
Shrooms: Legal, but retricted to the privacy of your own home, and extremely heavily taxed
- Caffeine: legal, price unregulated
-Salvia: legal, price regulated, and heavily taxed
- Other? Illegal

7 - Can people have guns? No, except for policemen, and military officers. The only formal arms allowed to be carried in public are swords.

8 - Do you have the death penalty? No

9 - What is the speed limit? 50 km/hr in the city unless otherwise posted, and 115 km/hr in the countryside unless otherwise posted

10 - What types of religions would are permitted or restricted? All are permitted, provided they do not break the law in their belief system

Which of the following are be legal:
11- Porn: Legal except for non-consensual. Each party must confirm that it was consensual.
12-Prostitution: Regulated and taxed, popular in the high upper class.
13-Polygamy/ Polyandry/ Polyamory: Illegal & taboo in marriage
14-Homosexuality: Legal, and homosexual marriage is legal as well
15-Stem cell research Legal.
16-Human Cloning Legal, but heavily regulated
17-Cock Fighting? Illegal
18-Slavery? Illegal, except for prison work camps.
20-Hunting? Legal, heavily regulated, guns are not permitted as hunting equipment
21-Fishing? Legal, unregulated unless fish species is endangered
22-Eating meat? Extremely common. Only 12% of the population are vegetarian.
23-Littering? Taboo, and results in a hefty fine.
24-Unisex bathrooms ? Pretty rare, yet there are some around
25-Suicide? Almost unheard of, very taboo
26 - Gay marriage? Legal and relatively common. Not an issue at all.
27-Abortion: Legal, yet rare, and heavily taxed & regulated

28- What types of sexual activity (if any) are illegal ? Rape, pedophilia, and non-consensual sexual activity of all time are grossly illegal. You spend HARD TIME.

29-Is your country's cultural clothing optional or mandatory? No mandatory clothes, except for job-specific uniforms. Uniforms in schools are outlawed.

30-Do you have obscenity laws? public nakedness is legal, but taboo, except for designated areas (ex; nude beaches).

31-What system do you have for taxes?
- Income tax? Varies by income
Sales tax? 8%, however items classed as 'necessities' (i.e food, clothing) for youth under 17 are free of tax
Import/Export tax? Varies on the product and where it is going to or coming from. Some allies are tax-free, including all nations in the League of Republics

32-What is the criterion for someone to pass to become a citizen? A Brief View of the Rhodian Immigration Policy

33-What types of people do you allow (or not allow) into your country? We are able to deport any non-Rhodian born citizen, and we do not allow fugitives or criminals that have not been tried into Nouvelle Rhodes

34-What type of government are you? Federalist Parliamentary-Style Democratic Constitutional Monarchy

35-To what degree is your government allowed to censor or restrict the media? Youth are not allowed to purchase certain types of media at stores without parental consent, as according to our media rating system.

[Nouvelle Rhodes]

Demographics

Demographic data in the Kingdom of Nouvelle Rhodes had first started being collected in the Rhodian people’s first census, that being the census of 1900. The job of accumulating, organizing, and tracking this important data has been given to the Royal Rhodian Statistics Bureau, formerly the Federal Census Bureau of Nouvelle Rhodes. All of census data for our nation can be found in English, French, and Italian, and up until 1929 (the Soft Revolution), censi were recorded in Latin and Greek as well. Censi are completed by the nation’s population once every two years, and although broad information is sent out to the public every three years, comprehensive and thorough data is sent out to the public and officially recorded approximately every six years. The most up-to-date statistics register was formally distributed to public archives November 1st, 2009. It is usually tradition in Nouvelle Rhodes that statistics are to be due by the government on May 1st, and they are distributed back to the public on November 1st, whether it has three years or six years since the last census. The information mainly focused on in the Rhodian census is population data, although accommodation, household economic, and building/infrastructure data are also provided.

Population: In 2009 the official population of Nouvelle Rhodes was 165 000 000, with 50.7% of the population being male, 48.3% being female, and 1% being transgender or gender-queer, classifying themselves as ‘other’. 67.2% of the population in Nouvelle Rhodes as of 2009 have a native citizenship (being born in the Kingdom of Nouvelle Rhodes), and 32.8% of the Rhodian population are foreigners or naturalized immigrants.

Population Growth Rate: Over the last few years, with strong immigration policy and recruitment, and an increased infrastructure quality and quality of living, the population growth rate has increased exponentially, it is recorded in 2009 as being 3.18%

Fertility Rate: Throughout most years through an analysis of the gathered data the fertility rate has been fairly steady, with a somewhat higher fertility rate in Rhodian women then in non-Rhodian women. The average family consists of approximately 4.92 people.
-Total Average Children Born: 2.34
-Average Children Born per Rhodian Woman: 2.58
-Average Children Born per Non-Rhodian Woman: 2.09

Infant Mortality Rate:
-Infant: 1.75/1000births
-Under 5 Years: 1.1/1000 births Age Structure: 0-14 years: 5.33% 14-17 years: 16.27% 17-38 years: 54.30% 38-56 years: 18.42% 56-70 years: 4.80% 70 years+: 1.10%
Life Expectancy:
-Male: 85
-Female: 88

HIV/AIDS Prevalence: With such an efficient and social healthcare system as our own, combined with extensive and detailed sex-education courses, the Kingdom of Nouvelle Rhodes is proud to have only a 0.045% HIV/AIDS prevalence rate.

Literacy: 100%. Society in the Kingdom of Nouvelle Rhodes puts a heavy importance on the ability to read and write. Thus the government itself has taken on the responsibility to ensure that every person above the age of 17 can read and write in at least two of the four official languages (mostly English and French).

Language:

French--98% of the population is fluent
English--95% of the population is fluent
Italian--93% of the population is fluent
Latin--90% of the population is fluent
Greek--74% of the population is fluent
Dutch--65% of the population is fluent
Arabic--43% of the population is fluent
Spanish--36% of the population is fluent

Religion: The Kingdom of Nouvelle Rhodes is a secular nation, however religion does play a major role in the daily life of it's citizens, as only 5 percent of the population are registered agnostics, and 2 percent are self-proclaimed atheists.

35% Catholic (18% Roman Catholic,17% Greek/Eastern Orthodox)
20% Sunni Islamic
16% Buddhist
7% Confucianist
5% Agnostic
4% Anglican
4% Sikh
4% Hindu
2% Jewish
2% Atheist
1% Calvinist/Lutheran

[Nouvelle Rhodes]

Geography Coming Soon

[Nouvelle Rhodes]

Economics

Statistics
Currency: Le Napoléon
Fiscal Year: Calendar Year
Gross Domestic Product: $11 456 358 842 612.28
GDP Per Capita: $27,672.36
Exchange Rate: 1 Napoléon=$1.31 NSD
Inflation Rate: 0.45%
Population Below Poverty Line: 4.8%
Unemployment Rate: 2.73%
Labour Force by Occupation: Managerial and Proffessional (45.8%); Technical, Administrative, Sales, and Services (27.7%); Manufacturing, Trades & Craft, and Transportation (24.2%), Farming, Fishing, and Forestry (3.5%)
Main Industries: Information Technology, Uranium Mining, Precision and Scientific Instruments, Gold Mining, Textiles, Creative Industry, Clothing, Minerals, Engineering, Watches, Telecommunications, Tourism, and Microelectronics.

The Kingdom of Nouvelle Rhodes has a very affluent, technologically advanced, and prosperous mixed economy. The World Assembly has classified it as a 'powerhouse,' as Nouvelle Rhodes has effectively capitalized on its highly developed infrastructure and transportation networks, and a masterfully skilled workforce. In striving to take the best out of both capitalism and socialism, the Kingdom of Nouvelle Rhodes has achieved extensive national welfare coverage, very comfortable living standards, progressive legislation in labour rights, and a stable currency.The centre of Nouvelle Rhodes' economic activity is New Amsterdam, the nation's largest metropolis and commercial hub. The two greatest districts of the city for the financial sector are downtown New Amsterdam, and the Eastern Quarter. New Amsterdam is the home of the Rhodian Stock Exchange (also known as "le bourse" or "La Borsa valori"), Great Trails Insurance, Royal Rhodian Bank, Dominion Trust Bank of Rhodes, United Rhodian Bank, His Majesty's Finances, and Air Rhodes. There are over 750 different branches of financial institutions in New Amsterdam.

The nation's economy is dominated mainly by the services sector, as it comprises of 74.8% of the total GDP. The services sector is paramount to Nouvelle Rhodes' economic growth, with some of the largest sectors being retail, and the business sector (concerning mainly real estate and communications). The education and health sectors are also extremely large, however both are under the control of the government. The services sector is based mainly in major cities and metropolis areas. The industry sector is a very important component of the Rhodian economy at 22.6% of the GDP. Much of the industry sector is located in the east, along the Olympus Mountain Range and at the edges of both seas on the northeast and southeast. Much of the industry sector is devoted to uranium and gold mining, The last 2.6% is claimed by an ever-shrinking agricultural sector, which is mainly focused in the beautiful countryside of the southwest. The most sought-after crops of the Rhodian agricultural sector are silk, corn, and cotton.

External
Exports: $1 366 855 279 200.00
Export Goods: Electronics, Gold, Medical and Scientific Instruments, Uranium, Watches, Data Processing Equipment, Textiles, Telecommunications Equipment, and Consumer Goods
Imports: $1 341 629 776 532.28
Import Goods: Fossil fuels, Motor vehicles and parts, Chemicals, Food and beverages, Minerals, Production Machinery and Equipment, and Aircraft
Trade Surplus: $25 225 502 667.72

The median household income of Nouvelle Rhodes is 65 404 NSD, and taxes in our nation are progressive. The tax year in Nouvelle Rhodes ends at 10:30 p.m, December 31st. The first 15 000 of one's gross income is left untaxed (ex; one who makes 100 000 Napoléons a year are only taxed on 85 000 Napoléons). However, some types of income are not taxed, such as: Gifts and inheritances, gambling winnings, lottery winnings, pensions, government or worker's compensation, gain on the sale of a home, and the Children's Monetary Tax Benefit (a government payment given to a household based on the number of children which reside there). The Goods and Services Tax (GST) is a tax on all commercial products and services. 4% of this tax goes to the federal government, and 4% goes to the provincial government. This tax, however, excludes basic necessities to those who are under the age of majority. Concerning the municipal governments, there are property taxes and levies of varying degrees, depending on the municipality. Nouvelle Rhodes is distinct in that community service or any other way in which one positively gives back to the nation can be awarded a tax break in any portion of taxes except the GST.

Income Tax
$15 001-35 000/year=16.5% income tax.
$35 001-55 000/year=24.7% income tax.
$55 001-82 000/year=28.2% income tax.
$82 001-110 000/year=31% income tax.
$110 001+/year=34.5% income tax.

Goods and Services Tax
Class A goods and services: (general items)=8%
Class B goods and services: (alcohol, cigarettes, caffeinated beverages, etc.)=65%
Class C goods and services: (marijuana, 'shrooms, prostitution, etc.)=83%

Corporate Tax
Micro-business: 5.5%
Small business: 12.65%
Medium-sized business: 17.9%
Big business: 31.17%

[Nouvelle Rhodes]

Politics

The political policy of Nouvelle Rhodes operates within a multi-party, federalist, democratic parliamentary constitutional monarchy. Power is separated into four branches, and most of the nation’s legislative practices are codified in its constitution. The monarch of Nouvelle Rhodes is also bound by the constitution, and the populous is represented by the head of government, the Prime Minister of Nouvelle Rhodes.

The Monarchy

Coat of Arms of the current monarch, HRM King Maximilien IX

After the great political reform of revolutionary-Nouvelle Rhodes in the late 1780’s and early 1790’s, the monarchy relinquished its absolute power in government and instead came to agreement on having only constitutional power. The main points of power, mandated by law, is that the monarch must give Royal Assent to any legislation that has passed through Parliament, any bureaucratic, or public-owned (crown) organization in Nouvelle Rhodes with the name or moniker ‘royal’ in it must be approved by the monarch, and the monarch may also advise the Prime Minister on any policy, although the Prime Minister does not have to act on this advise. With the affirmation of the Prime Minister, he can also grant pardons for crimes against Nouvelle Rhodes and the Rhodian people. Any chivalric or military state medal or award in Nouvelle Rhodes must be presented by the monarch as well.
The monarch of Nouvelle Rhodes is somewhat hereditary, but also based on merit. The idea of the King is to have someone who most exemplifies a homo universalis, or a Renaissance Man. At the death of the King of Nouvelle Rhodes a new monarch is either elected by the nobility (which themselves were appointed to nobility based on merit and what they have given to the nation) and approved by the people, or the next male descendent of the old monarch can be chosen by the people. However, the monarch must have these qualities according to tradition:
-Must be male
-Must be over 30 years old
-Must have a practiced faith of over 100 000 people
The monarch then must recite a solemn oath with his hand over the constitution in Parliament. He is then crowned by the leader of whichever faith they proclaim as their own.

Federalism

When creating the Constitution the founders of Nouvelle Rhodes had three main focuses for the future of the fledgling nation; a responsible government, a declaration of the basic rights and freedoms of a Rhodian citizen, and federalism. Because of the great area and sheer diversity of the nation Nouvelle Rhodes had to keep each province unified, and the dominions closely tied with the mainland nation. Thus separatism in Nouvelle Rhodes has remained minimal and the federal/provincial distribution of power in Nouvelle Rhodes has maintained each provinces own identity and individual influence, without any threat of civil war.

Federal Power
The federal government maintains exclusive power and jurisdiction over issues concerning: defence, employment insurance, the postal service, census, copyrights, trade regulation, international relations, money and banking, education, transportation, health, and citizenship, and the environment.

Provincial Power
The provincial government maintains exclusive constitutional jurisdiction over the following areas: property rights, administration of provincial justice, natural resources, welfare, etc.

Municipal Power
Each city, town or other municipality has a city council which governs it. Each city council is made up of 15 elected officials, led by a mayor. Municipal powers by constitution must have no affiliation with federal or provincial political parties. Municipalities have power over: water, sewage, waste collection, intra-city public transit, land use planning, libraries (except the National Libraries), emergency services, animal control, and municipal economic development.

Bodies of Government

Nouvelle Rhodes' Parliament Building

In accordance with the Constitution of Nouvelle Rhodes governmental and political power has been separated into two branches, those being the executive, and the legislative. The judicial branch is seen as entirely separated from the political process. In relation to the separation of powers, the constitution of Nouvelle Rhodes also protects its citizens from abuse of power

The Royal Council
The executive branch of the Rhodian government is the Royal Council, a collective of the appointed leaders of the ministries of government in Nouvelle Rhodes. These heads of the ministries are ministers, or ministers-of-state depending on their role and influence on the Royal Council itself. This body is appointed and led by the current Prime Minister with the approval of the reigning monarch. The role of the Royal Council in the government of Nouvelle Rhodes is to submit laws and instructions for the approval of Parliament, to execute spending authorized by Parliament, and to create treaties and appoint judges. The Prime Minster himself may veto laws (however, this veto can be overturned by at least 60% of both the Senate and the National Assembly, or by a referendum if the populous so chooses by initiative). A few ministries have extra jurisdiction and power in the Royal Council (all declarations of war must be approved by the Minister of Defence, the Minister of Finance has a say in creating the federal budget and stimulating the economy). The Prime Minister is elected for a term of five years.

Parliament & Legislative Assembly
The Parliament system of Nouvelle Rhodes is the legislative branch of the Rhodian government. The federal Parliament (known as just the Parliament) is a bicameral legislature consisting of the Senate and National Assembly, and the provincial parliament (known as the Legislative Assembly) is a unicameral legislative body. All those participating in Parliament are stylized as an MP (Member of Parliament), and all those in the Legislative Assembly are stylized as an MLA (Member of the Legislative Assembly). The Legislative Assembly is headed by the Speaker of the Assembly. Each MP and MLA serves a term of up to five years, except at the federal level the Senate is dissolved earlier than the National Assembly

Senate: The purpose of the Senate is to give a secondary opinion, and provide a ‘sober second thought’ to the legislative process. Thus the Senate must approve all laws previously approved by the National Assembly and sent by the Royal Council, and must approve all declarations of war, judicial appointments, and treaties that have been already approved by the National Assembly. The Senate is essentially the final step for a piece of legislation to become enacted into law, before Royal Assent of course. The Senate consists of (161 total Senators):
-80 Senators elected by the Legislative Assembly of each province and dominion. The number of Senators a province or dominion can elect is based on their population
-40 Senators appointed by the federal political party in power
-30 Senators appointed by The King’s Loyal Opposition (the federal opposition party with the most seats in the National Assembly.)
-11 Nobleman approved by the Prime Minister and National Assembly. They must be male.
To become a senator a citizen of Nouvelle Rhodes must be at least 25 years old, have a permanent residence valued at a minimum of 10 000 Napoléons, and must take an oath in one of the national languages to always abide by the Constitution.

National Assembly: The National Assembly approves all laws sent by the Royal Council, controls all government money; taxes, borrows, and sets the budget. It also has sole power to declare war (with the approval of the Ministry of Defence), approves federal judicial and High Court appointments, It also ratifies treaties created by the executive council. Any piece of legislation provided by the Royal Council is debated and edited in the National Assembly, before being sent to the Senate. All members are elected by popular vote from their specific constituencies. Each member must be the age of majority, and must have lived in Nouvelle Rhodes for at least six years (in addition to the amount necessary to become a citizen if the Member of Parliament is a naturalized citizen). There are 520 seats in the National Assembly, with each seat representing a constituency in Nouvelle Rhodes.

[Nouvelle Rhodes]

The van Rijn Royal Council

Rt. Hon. Prime Minister Sir Alfred van Rijn, B.A. (Hons) ONR

Ministers

First Minister (equivalent to deputy prime minister): Edmond Danton
Minister of the Aquatic: Geoffrey Alexander
Minister of Civil Service: Marc Sentius
Minister of Citizenship and Immigration: Georges Anaximandros
Minister of Commerce Albert Florin
Minister of Dominion Affairs: Wilhelm Robertson
Minister of Education: Johannes van der Graaf
Minister of Energy: Basil van Buren
Minister of the Environment: Jore Guillén
Minister of Finance: Franklin Benetton
Minister of Foreign Affairs: Philippe Marcoux
Minister of International Trade: Enzo de Medici
Minister of International Cooperation and Development: Marco Kosowski
Minister of Health and Human Services: Anthony Livingstone
Minister of National Defence: Maréchal de Nouvelle Rhodes Louis Corentin
Minister of Natural Resources: Sarosh Mahjeen
Minister of Social Equality and Development: Anne-Sophie Breuel


Ministers-of-State

Minister-of-State for Agriculture, Foods, and Agri-Business: Sextus Demeter
Minister-of-State for Culture and Media: Francesco de Lange
Minister-of-State for Children, Youth, and Families: Alexandra Lindsay
Minister-of-State for Multiculturalism: Salim Octavianus
Minister-of-State for Regional Economic Development: Aristotle Aristides
Minister-of-State for Sports and the Olympics: Wajih Grant
Minister-of-State for Veterans Affairs: George al-Abdullah


Non-ministers in attendance at the Royal Council meetings

Chancellor of the Exchequery (manages the bank accounts of the federal government and other public agencies): Sir Gordon Auld
Captain of the Royal Rhodian Guard: Captain Costa Danakas
Captain of the Swiss Guard: Captain Florin Valentino
World Assembly Ambassador (elected): Guillaume von Daele

[Nouvelle Rhodes]

National Political Compass

An analysis of the current government of Nouvelle Rhodes using the typology of the political compass: