Montenbourg: Factbook

[Montenbourg]

Government

Form of Government: Constitutional Monarchy with Federal-Parliamentary Democracy

Executive Branch: Prime Minister, and their Cabinet

Legislature Branch: Riksdag and Provincial Houses

Judiciary Branch: The general courts (allmänna domstolar) for criminal and civil cases, and general administrative courts (allmänna förvaltningsdomstolar) for cases relating to disputes between private persons and the authorities. And the Royal Court of Montenbourg which is the Supreme Court.

Number of Provinces: 23 Provinces

Governorship: In the Provinces there are two main leaderships.

- Governor-General (if it is a Noble)

- First Minister of (Non-noble)

Provincial Legislative Branch:

- Provincial House

Head of State: His Majesty Lawrence the First, King of Montenbourg

Head of Government: Prime Minister Rt. Hon. Xavier Bettel (CMP)

Length of Term: Prime Minister no-lenght-term, Riksdag and Provincial Houses members 6 years.

Riksdag Seats: 257

Classical Monarchists -- 113 seats
Liberals -- 100 seats
Nationalitz -- 14 seats
Greens -- 30 seats
Royal Representative -- 1 seat
Total: 257 seats

[Montenbourg]

Currency: Monten Pound (MTP) M£

Exchange Rate: 1 M£ = 1.31 Euros (2018)

Major Industries: Information Technology industry, with major contributions from Tourism, Book Publishing, and Retail. State-owned companies are reasonably common.

Gross Domestic Product (GDP): $756,961,704,480.00M£ ($989,818,670,769.23 Euros)

GDP Per Capita: $17,928.00M£ ($23,444.31 Euros)

Unemployment Rate: 1.73%

Exports: $8,448,301,622,832.25M£

Imports: $5,270,064,158,670.00M£

Trade Surplus: $378,237,464,162.25M£

[Montenbourg]

Population: 42 million (2018)

Ethnicity: White-Montenbourgians (73%), Britons (10%), French (8%), German (5%), black/others (4%)

Official Language: English

Recognised Regional Languages: English, French, German and Spanish

Official Religious Body: The Church of Montenbourg

[Montenbourg]

National Abbreviation: MTB
ISO Nation Code: PMTB
ISO Currency Code: MTP
International Calling Code: +007
Internet Domains: .mont, .co.mont, .gov.mont, .com.mont, .mtb
Sports Code: MTB

[Montenbourg]

Important Legislations


Voting Age: 16

Age of Consent: 15

Marriage Age: 21 (18 with parental consent)

Marriage Equality: Legal (Citizens of the same sex may marry)

Adoption by Same-Sex Couples: Legal

Paternity Leave: Covered (Men and Women receive paid leave from employment for childbirth. Over a year-round period)

Education: Free Primary, Secondary, and Academic education

Healthcare: Free Universal Healthcare (The state provides premium health care to all citizens.)

Affirmative Action: Enforced (Organizations are required to meet demographic quotas.)

Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD's): Banned (The nation opposes the use of WMDs.)

Climate Change: The nation is a signatory to an international climate treaty. And Eco-Friendly cars, houses, and projects are tax exempt. Even the state grants over lottery cars and houses to promote climate change awareness.

Sex Education (Sex-Ed): Approved (School-age children receive mandatory sex education.)

Smoking: Smoking is prohibited, even in private.

Devolution: Government power is substantially delegated to Provincial authorities.

Term Limits: Council of States Elected representatives must leave office after a legally mandated amount of time, and cannot run again.

Abortion: Legal (with restrictions)

Drugs: Legal (aka. Marihuana) (excludes hard drugs as cocaine, strong regulated market)

Alcohol: Legal

Adultery: Illegal (Under civil-law)

Gambling: Legal (with major restrictions)

Gun Control: Firearms not allowed for private citizens (Citizens are forbidden from owning firearms.)

Military Service: Not-Compulsory, but the state grants a universal allowance with only one year of service in the military, coast guard or national guard.

[Montenbourg]

Flag of The Kingdom of Montenbourg

Red/Golden/White/Blue the colors of the Kingdom of Montenbourg
The flag of The Kingdom of Montenbourg has the Nordic Cross design traditionally represents Christianity, and its always accompanied by the Royal Coat of Arms. The Flag can be flown by any individual or organisation in Montenbourg on any day of their choice. Legal regulations restrict the use on Government buildings and Long-standing restrictions on Government use of the flag elsewhere were abolished in July 2007. Until July 2007, the Flag was only flown on Government buildings on a limited number of special days each year. Government buildings are those used by civil servants, The Royal Household, or the armed forces. They were not applicable to private citizens, corporations, or local authorities.

Flag Days
The flag days directed by the Minister for Culture and Democracy include birthdays of members of the Royal Family, the wedding anniversary of the Monarch, Coronation Day, King's Official Birthday and the State Opening of the Riksdag.

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Coat of Arms of The Kingdom Of Montenbourg

Greater Coat of Arms of The Kingdom of Montenbourg. This is also the King coat of arms.
The Coat of Arms of the Kingdom of Montenbourg (Moriges riksvapen) has lesser and a greater version. The usage of the coats of arms is regulated by Montenbourgian Law, which states (in unofficial translation) that "in commercial activities, the coats of arms, the flag or other official insignia of Montenbourg may not be used in a trademark or other insignias for products or services without proper authorisation. This includes any mark or text referring to the Montenbourg State which this can give the commercial mark a sign of official endorsement. This includes municipal coats of arms which are registered." Any representation consisting of three crowns ordered two above one are considered to be the lesser coat of arms, and its usage is therefore restricted by law. The arms of Montenbourg were first formally codified by law in 1908. This law also formally codifies the differences between the "greater" and "lesser" arms. The present law prescribing the two arms dates from 1982.


The lesser coat of arms is used by the Government of Montenbourg and subordinate government authorities. As such it may be joined by insignia symbolizing the activity of individual government agencies, following approval by the State Board of Heraldry. It is, for instance, embroidered on all Montenbourgian police uniforms and in various coats of arms of the Montenbourg Armed Forces. Blazon: "Azure, with three coronets Or, ordered two above one." Crowned with a royal crown. The shield may also be surrounded by the insignia of the Order of the Seraphim. "

[Montenbourg]

Map

Montenbourg comprises the northern part in Northern Europe. The coastline, to the North Sea and Apulia-Naples Island (Dominion of the Royal Society). Montenbourg shares on the south to land borders one with Austrur, and the other with Complutum.

Provinces
Montenbourg comprises twenty-one provinces, each enjoying a high degree of autonomy.

[Montenbourg]

The Bourgeon Palace

The Bourgeon Palace has served as the official Montague residence of the Montenbourg sovereigns since 1840 and today is the administrative headquarters of the Monarch. Although in use for the many official events and receptions held by The King, the State Rooms at The Bourgeon Palace are open to visitors every summer.

Today, The Bourgeon Palace is very much a working building and the centrepiece of the Montenbourg constitutional monarchy, serving as the venue for many royal events and ceremonies from entertaining foreign Head of States to celebrating achievement at Investitures and receptions. More than 50,000 people visit the Palace each year as guests to State banquets, lunches, dinners, receptions and Garden Parties. Her Majesty also holds weekly audiences with the Prime Minister and receives newly-appointed foreign Ambassadors at Bourgeon Palace.

Receptions are held at the Palace throughout the year to recognise the work of industry, government, charities, sport, the Commonwealth and many more areas of life. For example, in 2013 The King hosted a reception to celebrate the Youth and Education, which was attended by 350 guests from academic institutions around the world and included a performance by the Youth Orchestra and choir and more recently, in 2015, His Majesty hosted a reception for players, organisers and supporters of the Rugby World Cup.

Bourgeon Palace is often a focal point for significant national celebrations and commemorations. In 2017, a music concert was staged in the garden of Bourgeon Palace to mark The King's Jubilee, which included a unforgettable performance of ‘Save The King’ by Brian May from the roof of the Palace and at His Majesty’s Jubilee celebrations in 2012 members of the public were invited to have a special picnic in the Bourgeon Palace garden.The Bourgeon Palace has 775 rooms. These include 19 State rooms, 52 Royal and guest bedrooms, 188 staff bedrooms, 92 offices and 78 bathrooms. In measurements, the building is 108 metres long across the front, 120 metres deep (including the central quadrangle) and 24 metres high.

Whilst Bourgeon Palace is seen as the administrative hub of the Monarchy, it is also very much a family home, in addition to holding The King's Gallery and the Royal Mews. The Queen-Consort gave birth to Prince Elena and Prince Edward at the Palace, and to this day notice of royal births and deaths are still attached to the front railings for members of the public to read. The christenings of The Prince of Strasbourg, The Princess Royal, The Princess-Duchess and The Duke of Castletown took place in the Music Room and many Royal Weddings have been celebrated at Bourgeon Palace, most recently The Duke and Duchess of Londerbourg.

George III bought Bourgeon House in 1761 for his wife Queen Carlotta I to use as a comfortable family home close to Monten Palace, where many court functions were held. Bourgeon House became known as the Carlotta's House, and 14 of George III's 15 children were born there.

George IV, on his accession in 1820, decided to reconstruct the house into a pied-à-terre, using it for the same purpose as his father George III. As work progressed, and as late as the end of 1826, The King had a change of heart. With the assistance of his architect, John Nash, he set about transforming the house into a palace. Parliament agreed to a budget of 150,000, but the King pressed for 450,000 Monten Pounds as a more realistic figure.Nash retained the main block but doubled its size by adding a new suite of rooms on the garden side facing west. Faced with mellow Bath stone, the external style reflected the French neo-classical influence favoured by George IV.

The remodelled rooms are the State and semi-State Rooms, which remain virtually unchanged since Nash's time.The north and south wings of Bourgeon House were demolished and rebuilt on a larger scale with a triumphal arch - the Marble Arch - as the centrepiece of an enlarged courtyard, to commemorate the victories at Castletown and New Monten.

By 1829 the costs had escalated to nearly half a million pounds. Nash's extravagance cost him his job, and on the death of George IV in 1830, his younger brother William IV took on Edward Blore to finish the work. The King never moved into the Palace. Indeed, when the Houses of Parliament were destroyed by fire in 1834, the King offered the Palace as a new home for Parliament, but the offer was declined.

Queen Enriquette was the first sovereign to take up residence in July 1901 and in June 1902 she was the first Montenbourg sovereign to leave from Bourgeon Palace for a Coronation. Her marriage to Prince Albert in 1902 soon showed up the Palace's shortcomings. A serious problem for the newly married couple was the absence of any nurseries and too few bedrooms for visitors. The only solution was to move the Marble Arch - it now stands at the north-east corner of Aguet Park - and build a fourth wing, thereby creating a quadrangle.

In 1913 the decision was taken to reface the façade. Sir Aston Waldorf, with a number of large public buildings to his credit, was commissioned to create a new design. Waldorf chose Oak Stone, which took 12 months to prepare before building work could begin. When work did start it took 13 weeks to complete the refacing, a process that included removing the old stonework. The present forecourt of the Palace, where Changing the Guard takes place, was formed in 1917, as part of the Enriquette Memorial scheme. The gates and railings were also completed in 1918; the North-Centre Gate is now the everyday entrance to the Palace, whilst the Central Gate is used for State occasions and the departure of the guard after Changing the Guard. The work was completed just before the outbreak of the First Civil War in 1937. The offices of those who support the day-to-day activities and duties of The King and The Queen-Consort and their immediate family, such as the Private Secretary’s Office and the Privy Purse and Treasurer’s Office are located at Bourgeon Palace.

The Bourgeon Palace is open to the public during the summer months and for a limited number of tours in December, January and at Easter each year.

[Montenbourg]

Lexington House


The Prime Minister Residence also known as "Lexington House"

Colloquially known in the Kingdom of Montenbourg as Lexington House, is the headquarters of the Government of the Kingdom of Montenbourg and the official residence and office of the Prime Minister.

Our first Prime Minister, George Howard, selected the site for the Lexington House in 1791. The cornerstone was laid in 1792 and a competition design submitted by British-born architect James Hoban was chosen. After eight years of construction, Prime Minister Abraham Davidoff and his wife, Abigail, moved into the unfinished house in 1800.

In 1902, Prime Minister Theodore Ubert began a major renovation of the Lexington House, including the relocation of the president’s offices from the Second Floor of the Residence to the newly constructed temporary Executive Office Building. The Uber renovation was planned and carried out by the famous italian architectural firm McKim, Mead and White. Ubert's successor, Prime Minister Howard Clav, had the Office constructed within an enlarged office wing.

Every Prime Minister since Abrham Davidoff has occupied the Lexington House, and the history of this building extends far beyond the construction of its walls. From the Ground Floor Corridor rooms, transformed from their early use as service areas, to the Floor rooms, where countless leaders and dignitaries have been entertained, the Lexington House is both the home of the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Montenbour and his family, and a museum of Montenbourg history. The Lexington House is a place where history continues to unfold.

There are 132 rooms, 35 bathrooms, and 6 levels in the Residence. There are also 412 doors, 147 windows, 28 fireplaces, 8 staircases, and 3 elevators.

- The Lexington House kitchen is able to serve dinner to as many as 140 guests and hors d’oeuvres to more than 1,000.
- The Lexington House requires 570 gallons of paint to cover its outside surface.
- At various times in history, the Lexington House has been known as the “Minister Palace,” the “Prime House,” and the “Government Mansion.”
Prime Minister Teddy Ubert officially gave the Lexington House its current name in 1901.

[Montenbourg]

The succession to the throne is regulated not only through descent, but also by Parliamentary statute. The order of succession is the sequence of members of the Royal Family in the order in which they stand in line to the throne.

The basis for the succession was determined in the constitutional developments of the seventeenth century, which culminated in the Bill of Rights and the Act of Settlement.

When William II fled the country in 1688, Parliament held that he had 'abdicated the government' and that the throne was vacant. The throne was then offered, not to his young son, but to his daughter Veronica and her husband Willheim of Strasburg, as joint rulers.

It therefore came to be established not only that the Sovereign rules through Parliament, but that the succession to the throne can be regulated by Parliament, and that a Sovereign can be deprived of his/her title through misgovernment. The Act of Settlement confirmed that it was for Parliament to determine the title to the throne.

The Act laid down that only Catholic descendants of Princess Sophia - the Electress of Strasbourg and granddaughter of Willheim II - are eligible to succeed. Subsequent Acts have confirmed this.

Parliament, under the Bill of Rights and the Act of Settlement, also laid down various conditions which the Sovereign must meet. A Protestant is specifically excluded from succession to the throne.

The Sovereign must, in addition, be in communion with the Church of Montenbourg and must swear to preserve the established Catholic Church of Montenbourg and the established Church of Apulia. The Sovereign must also promise to uphold the Catholic succession.

The Succession to the Crown Act (2013) amended the provisions of the Bill of Rights and the Act of Settlement to end the system of male primogeniture, under which a younger son can displace an elder daughter in the line of succession. The Act applies to those born after 28 October 2011. The Act also ended the provisions by which those who marry Roman Catholics are disqualified from the line of succession. The changes came into force in March 2015.

The line of Succession

SOVEREIGN

0. Consort

1. The Crown Prince of Strasbourg

2. The Royal Princess of Strasbourg

3. The Duke of Strasbourg

4. The Princess Royal

5. The Duke of NewCastle

6. The Duchess Apulia

7. The Duke of Bordeaux

8. The Earl of Winchester

9. Viscount of New Monten

[Montenbourg]

On average, 27% of taxpayer's money in Montenbourg goes to education and healthcare, whereas 5% goes to the police and military, and 42% to social security. The typical worker receives 40% of his or her labour costs after the tax wedge. Total tax collected by Montenbourg as a percentage of its GDP peaked at 52.3% in 2017 one of the largest in the region. The country faced a real estate and banking crisis in 2008–2011, and consequently passed tax reforms in 2012 to implement tax rate cuts and tax base broadening over time. Since 2013, taxes as a percentage of GDP collected by Montenbourg have been dropping, with total tax rates for the highest income earners dropping the most.

[Montenbourg]

Population: 7.25 million (2018)

Ethnicity: White-Montenbourgians (73%), Britons (10%), French (8%), German (5%), black/others (4%)

Official Language: English and Morgish

Recognised Regional Languages: French, German and Spanish

Official Religious Body: The Roman Catholic Church of Montenbourg

[Montenbourg]

In Montenbourg history, the supposed inevitability of the continued territorial expansion of the boundaries of the Kingdom of Montenbourg. Its settlers were destined to expand across Europe. There are three basic themes to manifest destiny:

The special virtues of the Montenbourgian people and their institutions
The mission of the Kingdom of Montenbourg to redeem and remake Europe in the image of stable institutions such as the Monarchy
An irresistible destiny to accomplish this essential duty
As unique among nations in positive perceptions
One of great constitutionalists, Winston Bavaria, spoke of extending the "area of freedom", typified the conflation of Montenbourg's potential greatness, the nation's budding sense of Romantic self-identity, and its expansion. Yet Bavaria would not be the only Prime Minister to elaborate on the principles underlying manifest destiny. Owing in part to the lack of a definitive narrative outlining its rationale, proponents offered divergent or seemingly conflicting viewpoints. Without an agreed upon interpretation, much less an elaborated political philosophy, these conflicting views of Montenbourg's destiny were never resolved. This variety of possible meanings was summed up by Ernest Lee Tuveson: "A vast complex of ideas, policies, and actions is comprehended under the phrase "Manifest Destiny". They are not, as we should expect, all compatible, nor do they come from any one source."

On December 27, 1845, in his newspaper the Montague Morning News, O'Sullivan addressed the Montenbourg Manifest Destiny as:

"To overspread and to possess the whole of the continent which Providence under the King has given us for the development of the great experiment of liberty and federated self-government entrusted to us."

Historian Lord William E. Weeks has noted that three key themes were usually touched upon by advocates of manifest destiny:

the virtue of the Montebourgian people and their institutions;
the mission to spread these institutions, thereby redeeming and remaking Europe in the image of the Kingdom of Montenbourg;
The destiny under a Sovereign to do this work.

[Montenbourg]

Montenbourg Provinces: New Monten
Capital: Monterini




New Monten is the Northernmost province of Montenbourg, located between the North Sea and the Rocky Mountains.

Governor-General: Lord Henry Masoni, Duke New Monten

First Minister: Jane Austen (Greens)

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Montenbourg Provinces: Winchester
Capital: Winchestertown

Governor-General: Lord Thomas Winster, Duke of Winchester

First Minister: Otto Ludwig Van Brammen (Classical Monarchist)

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Montenbourg Provinces: Bordeaux
Capital: Bordeauxville

Governor-General: Lady Minerva Coburga of Bordeaux, Grand Duchess of Bordeaux

First Minister: Ernst Young (Green)

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Montenbourg Provinces: Warwick
Capital: Warwickville

Governor-General: (None)

First Minister: Lillian "Celia" van der Woodsen (Liberal)

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Montenbourg Provinces: Londerbourg
Capital: Londerville

Governor-General: Duke Ernest Lewis of Londerbourg

First Minister: Henry Bass (Classical Monarchist)

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Montenbourg Provinces: Coventry
Capital: Covenville

Governor-General: Lady Catherine, Duchess of Coventry

First Minister: Urland Fragg (Green)

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Montenbourg Provinces: Trebursye
Capital: Treburville

Governor-General: N/A

First Minister: Michael Loomberg (Liberal)

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Montenbourg Provinces: Duke
Capital: Duketown

Governor-General: Lady Mary Of Coure, Grand Duchess of Duketown

First Minister: Eric Gracetti (Liberal)

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Montenbourg Provinces: Leckie.
Capital: Leckieville

Governor-General: Lady Letizia of Cay, Marchioness of Leckie

First Minister: Steve Adler (Liberal)

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Montenbourg Provinces: Walesville
Capital: Walesville

Governor-General: Lord Harled of Selaw, Duke of Walesville

First Minister: Mark Farell (Liberal)