Nolis

Nolis, officially the Republic of Nolis, is an island city-state and a constituent republic, or Læsteri, of the Asterian Consortium. It is independent de-jure, as it maintains its own armed forces and foreign policy, although they almost always align with that of the wider Consortium. Nolis is situated east of mainland Sarpedon. Its territory comprises one major island and 23 smaller outlying islands. With over 6.5 million citizens and permanent residents of various nationalities on an area of 1,083 squared-kilometres, Nolis is one of the most densely populated nations in the world. Although its ancient history stretches millennia, modern Nolis was founded in 1860 after colonization by Urcea. Under Urcean rule, Nolis grew from a small settlement to one of the most strategic port cities worldwide. During the Great War, the colony remained allied with Urcean forces until the Caphirian invasion of Veltorina in 1933. In the midst of a war scare, Nolis declared itself a crown commonwealth, a de-facto independent state. It became a neutral free port in 1934. During the war and in the intervening years during the Occidental Cold War, Nolis enjoyed relative prosperity as the only free port on the continent, with its population growing to 3 million as it became a centre for refugees across Sarpedon. It became, de-jure, a fully sovereign republic in 1975. Despite post-independence turbulence, the nation continued to grow and developed rapidly, based on finance, logistics and external trade. It was admitted into the Asterian Consortium in 2018 following a major referendum.

Today, Nolis is one of the world’s most significant financial centres, and possesses one of the world’s largest trading ports. It is a highly developed country, and is identified as a corporate tax haven. Nevertheless, Nolis maintains a social-democratic welfare system, ranked highly on indicators of healthcare and education, but low on factors of accessibility to public housing and welfare. Otherwise, the nation ranks highly in social indicators such as median income, human development, healthcare, education and per-capita GDP, but falls short in income equality and economic mobility. Nolis is home to the Admiralty Stock Exchange, one of the largest in the world by market capitalization, and many multinational corporations, including Southern Lines, one of the world’s largest container lines. As of 2037, the Nolisian passport is considered one of the most powerful globally.

Nolis is home to 6.5 million residents, 32% of which are foreign nationals holding resident or permanent residency status. Although it has no official language, English serves as the lingua franca, with Latin serving as a national language. As one of the world’s most diverse nations, multiculturalism has been enshrined in the Basic Law since 1972, and continues to serve as a key factor in policy decisions.

The Republic of Nolis is a unitary parliamentary constitutional republic with a Westminster system of governance in the framework of a confederation. The President of the Legislative Council serves as the head of state, a role granted ex-officio to the President of the Consortium. The President of the Executive Council serves as the head of government. Nolis is described as an “illiberal democracy”, as its political life is heavily dominated by both corporate and foreign influences.

Contents

 * 1 Etymology
 * 2 History
 * 2.1 Colonial Nolis
 * 2.2 Great War
 * 2.3 Post-war Nolis
 * 2.4 Republic of Nolis
 * 2.5 Since 2018
 * 3 Politics and government
 * 3.1 Politics
 * 3.2 Democratic development
 * 3.3 Administrative divisions
 * 3.4 Foreign relations
 * 3.4.1 Relations with Asteria
 * 3.5 Armed forces
 * 4 Geography
 * 4.1 Climate
 * 4.2 Cityscape
 * 5 Economy
 * 5.1 Income, poverty and wealth
 * 5.1.1 Housing
 * 6 Demographics
 * 6.1 Citizenship
 * 6.2 Language
 * 7 Infrastructure
 * 7.1 Transport
 * 8 Education
 * 9 Healthcare
 * 10 Culture
 * 10.1 Symbols
 * 11 See also

Etymology
It is claimed that the English name Nolis is an anglicization of an ancient Istroyan word for “lion”, hence the enshrining of the animal as a national symbol, and in the customary name for the state, the “Lion City”. However it is unlikely that lions ever lived on the island, with many scholars suggesting that the name originates from the Burgoignesc word for cargo or tariff.

Colonial Nolis
Nolis was recognized by the then King of Urcea as a strategic point for the resurgent nation to project influence to its south. The island was a moderately prosperous port settlement, governed as a city-state. Seeking to expand its influence, the Apostolic Kingdom of Urcea declared war on Nolis in 1859 under the pretense of the imprisonment of Urcean citizens. The war lasted until 1860, with the capitulation of the city-state and the founding of the Rectory of Nolis. The foundation of the Rectory came with considerable Urcean investment and settlement, with the small settlement ballooning to a population of over 120,000 by 1890.

Great War
With the outbreak of the Great War in 1927, the citizens of the Rectory found themselves increasingly sandwiched between great powers. Nolis, which had become an important trading centre for both Levantine and Sarpedonian states, found its neutral foreign policy threatened. This led to increasing anti-war sentiment; as the elected politicians of the city began to refuse cooperation with the Urcean government on economic grounds. This buildup of anti-war sentiment reached a breaking point in early 1933 following the invasion of Veltorina. Seeing the failure of Urcea to intervene on its behalf; many Nolisians harboured fears that the city would soon be on the front lines of a conflict between Urcea and Caphiria. On January 16th, under covert Caphirian urging, the city’s legislature passed a unanimous declaration seeking commonwealth status. This request was reluctantly granted on January 18.

Statues of the city’s Urcean rectors. Although the new Dominion of Nolis retained the Apostolic King of Urcea as its head of state, it became functionally independent. In 1934, a new parliament passed a series of acts rescinding the state of hostilities between it and the Caphrian-aligned powers, declaring itself a neutral free port. These actions were seen with derision in Urcea, although the war prevented any meaningful intervention. A wave of eastern Veltorine and other refugees inundated the city in the closing years of the war, growing its population and shaping its demographics.

Post-war Nolis
Admiralty, 1955 With a rapidly increasing population, post-war Nolis began to industrialize. Retaining its war-time status as a neutral port, the city’s economic output continued to grow as it became the focus of both Urcean and Caphirian investment. The city’s unique position allowed it to become a financial centre, especially as waves of immigrants arrived from across Sarpedon.

The arrival of new immigrants, and the increase of the dominion’s population to 3 million by the late 1960s, brought a host of social tensions. Many of these immigrants faced both economic and social challenges. Therefore, the dominion government attempted reform; establishing a rapid transit network, improving housing, and introducing partially-free elections. Although these were successful, they failed to address the political differences between the new immigrants and the existing culturally Urcean dominated society. In 1969, a series of protests broke out across the city as a response to a proposal brought forth by the then-powerful Levantine Catholic Church to extend the reach of the dominion’s canon law legal system. This led to increased calls for secularization from Nolis’ Istroyan majority, which led to the drafting of a new, secular Basic Law.

As a dominion under the Urcean crown, Nolisian constitutional changes still required approval from Urceopolis. From 1933, the constitution was primarily contained in the Urcean Nolis Act, passed by the Concilium Daoni. Although the new Basic Law was passed by the Legislative Council of Nolis almost unanimously, its final approval faced much opposition from Urcean lawmakers. As such, the Executive Council began planning a referendum proposing a declaration of independence and a republic of Nolis in the case of Urcean refusal. Following 14 months of political rhetoric and deadlock, in an attempt to keep the city under the crown, the new Basic Law, and an article of patriation, was finally approved by a narrow margin in the Concilium.

This reluctance led to much animosity within the populace to Urcea, and by extension, the continued status of the Apostolic King in Nolis. A surge in a newfound nationalism defined the opening years of the 1970s; culminating in the elected members of the 1973 Legislative Council refusing to swear allegiance to the Urcean Crown. This sparked outrage in Urceopolis, who wished to see the members dismissed. The President of the Legislative Council refused, and allowed them instead to swear allegiance to the Basic Law; marking a major republican victory.

The Legislative Council would go on to allow a referendum in early 1975 proposing the creation of a republic, one which passed with an almost 85% majority. Although decried as illegitimate by the Urcean government, the nation nevertheless declared independence as the Republic of Nolis on November 22, 1975.

Republic of Nolis
Admiralty, 1978 The Republic of Nolis officially gained international recognition with the signing of the Separation Agreement on December 21, 1975.

Main article: Nolis under the National Front (1976-1998)

The category 5 Hurricane Michael made landfall in Nolis on July 16th, 1976. It killed over 7,000, and the ensuing humanitarian crisis was only made worse by an inadequate response from the interim provisional government. This led to the election of the National Front later that year, promising redevelopment and assistance. On a mandate to develop the nation into a independent and democratic state, the Front used its absolute elected majority in the Legislative Council to cement its role as the nation’s leading political party; co-opting military and state apparatuses to continue its rule. It emphasized economic development, non-alignment and independence through five central pillars, which have remained the core values of the Nolisian republic. GDP growth exceeded 7% annually, allowing the introduction of social-democratic policies such as universal healthcare, while retaining a low corporate tax rate. Nolis officially became a first world nation in the late 1980s, with the opening of Nolis Scarborough International Airport and the Port of Queenstown.

Front rule was an era rife with contradictions; although the state and the education system espoused democracy, its elected institutions remained powerless. These, among many other, contradictions festered resentment within the population, sparking protests across the island in early 1998. Although crackdowns quickly began, they were halted by the party’s leader and Chairman of the National Affairs Commission Winston Chan. Agreeing that the Front’s mandate was complete, he relinquished power and disbanded the party in an internationally televised statement.

This established a liberal democracy, as power was returned to elected institutions. Although the city’s unique constituency system, a mix of both functional and geographical representation, would remain, new reforms replaced corporate voting with individual voting. For over two decades Nolis was ranked highly on the Democracy and Liberty Indexes, committing to non-alignment and the further development of its economy.

Over the next 20 years, however, the Republic developed closer ties with the neighbouring Lasteri of the Asterian Consortium. It established the Istroyan Internal Market in 2001, reduced border controls in 2003, and established a single metro-area wide coordinating body in 2010. This closer integration led to growing calls for membership in the Consortium, exemplified by the 2016 election of Constitutional Party PotEC Alexopolous, who ran on a platform of political union.

Following a major referendum in early 2018 in which over 77% of the eligible population voted for union, the Republic was granted membership into the Consortium on September 1st of 2018, becoming the confederation's 12th Lasteri.

Since 2018
The Repulse Bay Bridge as seen from Lycia, a symbol of Nolis' membership. Although Nolis entered into the Consortium in 2018, the transfer of powers from local institutions to confederal ones was only completed over 2 years later, due to disputes over the executive's sharing of authority with the Office of General Secretary. The transition was finalized in a televised ceremony in late 2020, in which the role of President of the Legislative Council, Nolis' head of state, was nominated to the confederation's shared head of state, the President of the Consortium.

Since the admission of Nolis into the Asterian Consortium, the republic has seen record economic growth as it became more closely integrated into the regional economy. Most visibly was the marked increase in air travel through the city and tourism, as a result of the end of border controls between the island and the continent. Less visibly, however, was the rapid expansion of Nolisian enterprises and corporations, most notably Dominion Bank, throughout the consortium.

Although corporate voting was re-introduced as a condition of admission, the cooperation between opposing sides of the political spectrum that has defined Nolisian politics continues. An example of this is the coalition between the left-wing Democrats and the right-wing Constitutionalists, which preserve the ruling majority of the geographical constituencies against corporate functional constituencies. In 2021, Asteria Chartered, one of the confederation's largest corporations, relocated its corporate headquarters to the city-state in an action that many saw as a signal of the city's growing influence in the consortium.

In 2035, Nolis became one of the founding nations of the Tulcea Pact. The alliance would extend to include ten nations from all across the continent. Nolis would also be a founding state of the Sarpedonian Economic Community (SEC), establishing a free trade area between its constituent nations, with the long-term goal of establishing a single market and a customs union.

Politics and government
Main article: Government of Nolis

The Legislative Council building in the CBD of Admiralty.

The Istana, the working office of the President of the Executive Council.

The Republic of Nolis is a primary Læsteri in the Asterian Consortium with a unitary Westminster parliamentary system, with strong traditions of democracy and egalitarianism. The Basic Law establishes a form of legislative supremacy, with all legislative, executive and judicial powers granted de-facto to the Legislative Council and de-jure to its president, a role granted ex-officio the President of the Asterian Consortium, who serves as the head of state and plays a role similar to that of a constitutional monarch.

The unicameral Legislative Council is the nation's parliament; it is composed of a 182 members from 115 geographical constituencies and 67 functional constituencies, elected through a system of universal suffrage of each constituency's defined electorate. It is chaired officially by the President of the Legislative Council, although a president pro tempore is commonly appointed to serve in that role. The member of Legislative Council that can obtain the confidence of a majority of the Council is appointed by the President of the Legislative Council to act as the President of the Executive Council. The military's commander-in-chief is the Chairman of the National Military Commission, a role elected by the legislature, although it is granted ex-officio to the commander-in-chief of the Office of Consortium Security.

The Executive Council, comprised of members of Legislative Council appointed by the President of the Executive Council, has little authority when compared to that of the Legislative Council. Not only does it have to maintain the confidence of the legislature, the exercise of executive authority itself is done in the name of the Legislative Council and subject to interpretation.

Nolis is notable for its liberal and social-democratic values, which influence its governance through to today. These values have manifested themselves in the Basic Law, the 1979 National Healthcare Act and the 1991 Rights, Citizenship and Freedoms Act, pieces of landmark legislation which enshrined a system of both liberal democracy and social democracy. Policies today are also shaped by the nation's continued self-perception as a "city on a hill" - a beacon of hope and righteousness. This has ensured that the principles of liberalism and egalitarianism remain cornerstones of the multicultural Nolisian society; which is as a whole remarkable for its equal treatment and tolerance of minorities.

Politics
Main article: Politics of Nolis

The Nolisian flag flying over the Judicial Council. At the local level, politics in Nolis are dominated by three major political factions: the pro-democracy camp, currently government, the pro-business camp, currently opposition, and the minor localist camp. These three factions are represented by 6 parties in the Legislative Council. The pro-democracy camp is primarily comprised of seats elected by geographical constituencies, while the pro-business camp is primarily comprised of seats elected by functional constituencies.

To ensure the continued dominance of the geographical constituencies in Council, the pro-democracy camp is a coalition between the libertarian Constitutional Party, the social-democratic Democratic Party, and the socialist Federation Party, all three of which practice a form of brokerage politics. As such, Nolis is notable for its mix of both capitalist and socialist policies. This unique political structure has forged a welfare system ranked highly on provision of public goods such as healthcare and education, but poorly on market supplied goods such as housing.

On a federal scale, Nolis skews left-wing in its politics. This can be seen in the city-state's longstanding and consistent support for socialist and social-democratic candidates for the office of General Secretary.

Democratic development
Although with constitutionally protected freedoms and a strong political culture, Nolis is classified as an “illiberal democracy”. According to the Liberty Index, Nolis’ institutions fail to represent its populace. Foreign influence remains a major factor in its elections and political life, with both the pro-democracy and pro-business camps funded indirectly by foreign interest groups, Cartadanian and Caphirian, respectively. Legislative Council seats, although hotly contested in geographic constituencies, commonly fall to the pro-business camp in functional constituencies, ensuring that the unpopular faction remains a major force in Nolisian politics. Although changes to the Basic Law for the abolishing of functional seats have been proposed by both the localist and democratic camps, they have consistently failed to pass the required 75% supermajority for constitutional changes.

Administrative divisions
The city state is divided into four geographical districts, each governed by a directly-elected District Council, each of which act similarly to a city government. As a unitary state, their powers are derived directly from the Legislative Council and the central government.

Foreign relations
Main article: Foreign relations of Nolis

Nolis’s international relations are based on Article 16 of the Basic Law, which establishes non-intervention, self-determination, diplomacy and cooperation as the fundamental principles on how the Nolisian state should interacts with other countries and organizations. As such, it maintains diplomatic relations with every League of Nations member state, as of 2037. According to the Basic Law, the President of the Legislative Council is the nation’s chief diplomat, although the task commonly falls to the President of the Executive Council.

Although occasionally strained, it shares close economic and cultural ties with every one of its neighbours, as well as positive relations with almost every nation on the planet. Its foreign policy therefore includes a focus on economic development and the universal creation of warm relations, even with nations of opposing ideologies.

Even though it shares positive relations with every one of its neighbours, Nolis continues to perceive itself as a tiny bulwark surrounded by larger powers of which it is uneasy with. This has led to the preservation of the National Front’s realpolitikal foreign policy of aggressive non-alignment, positive relations, soft power projection and economic cooperation with more ideologically aligned states to prevent the nation’s perceived Mortropivization by surrounding powers.

Relations with Asteria
Main article: Asteria-Nolis relations

Nolis shares extremely close relations with the many constituent states, or Læsteri, of the Asterian Consortium. It is a party to the Istroyan Internal Market, which ensures free trade and open economic and cultural relations in the framework of an economic and customs union. Although Nolis retains full control over its foreign and domestic policies, it has been considered in some ways as a de-facto Læsteri of the Consortium. It is a major part of the Lycia-Nolis-Nysa Metropolitan Area.

Armed forces
Main article: Nolis Armed Forces

The RNN Admiralty, the flagship of the navy The Nolis Armed Forces comprises four major services: the Navy, the Air Force, the Army, and the Coast Guard, with the commander-in-chief being the Chairman of the National Military Commission, commonly the President of the Executive Council. It forms the military component of the nation’s comprehensive civil, economic and military defence strategy. Nolis is a member of the Tulcea Pact, a military alliance with other Sarpedonian nations.

As the NAF only has a small active force of personnel, numbering 60,000, it relies heavily on a large pool of conscripts. As such, it can call upon over a million reservists in the case of full scale war. Most able-bodied Nolisians are drafted into the armed forces, or public services, at 18, regardless of gender. Although Nolis has never entered into a state of war with another nation in its modern history, the military is nevertheless seen as the guardian of the nation’s independence. As such, the government spends a relatively high 6.7% of the national GDP on defence. It is, per service member, one of the most well funded and technologically advanced militaries in the world, with its doctrine heavily reliant on the concept of force multiplication. Although officially denied, Nolis is believed to possess between 2-5 nuclear warheads of suspected Caphirian origin.

Geography
Nolis comprises Lion’s Island and 23 other permanently-inhabited outlying islands in the Sea of Canete, making up approximately 1,083 squared kilometres of territory. Although mere kilometres from mainland Sarpedon, Victoria Island is bounded on the north by the Aberdeen Strait, on the south by Stonecutter’s Gap, and neighbours the city of Calysos along the waters of Repulse Bay to the west. The nation’s tallest point is Mount Royal at 130m above sea level. Development is present on all parts of the island, although it is most concentrated in the south. Since 1972, the nation has increased its area by 13% through widespread land reclamation. 14 of its 23 outlying islands are over a hundred kilometres away from Victoria Island, with 2, Elizabeth Island and Julius Island hosting major military facilities.

Climate
Approximately 25 degrees south of the equator, Nolis has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa), characteristic of oceanic Sarpedon. Summers are hot and humid, with hurricanes most likely to occur then. Winters are usually mild; with occasional strong fronts bringing cooling winds.

Cityscape
The roofs of Little Punth. The skyline of northern Admiralty. Quarry Bay, an example of a new town development. The Port of Queenstown and the Rambler Channel Bridge.

Nolis has one of the world’s largest numbers of skyscrapers, with over 170 structures taller than 150m. The lack of available space has led to high density construction, most evident in the district of Admiralty. Single-family homes are rare, as many live in the high rise towers of new towns, or in lower rise apartments closer to the city centre. As well, Sarpedon’s tallest building, the 510m 2 Maritime Square, is located in Nolis.

Nolis encompasses an island of many neighbourhoods and communities, each with their own distinct identities and history. Although long since amalgamated into one of four districts, many Nolisians still identify with their communities, and their names continue to be used. Notable neighbourhoods include the colonial-era city centre of Queenstown, Little Punth, and the high-rise new towns of York.

Economy
Composition of GDP by sector:

Primary sector (1.1%)

Secondary sector (9.5%)

Tertiary sector (89.4%)

A capitalist, primarily service-based economy, based on extensive entrepôt trade, Nolis is an established global logistical and financial centre. It is known to be the world’s freest, easiest to do business in, most competitive and most innovative economy worldwide, characterized by low corporate taxation and minimal government intervention. Although it has consistently ranked high in economic freedoms, the nation also has a high level of income disparity.

From 1972 to 2005, the Nolis economy grew by an average of over 7% annually. Today, it is highly developed and is the world’s 28th largest economy, with a GDP of $403 billion. It attracts a large amount of foreign investment, as well as indirect influence, as a result of its location, economic freedoms, low taxation, and global trade connections. Nolis is party to a variety of free-trade agreements, and has one of the world’s largest foreign exchange reserves. It is a part of the Istroyan Single Market, as well as the Sarpedonian Economic Community.

The tertiary sector comprises a major proportion of the nation’s economy, with banking, finance and shipping as its primary components. It is the 7th largest trading entity measured by imports and exports, trading an amount of goods worth more than its total GDP. The nation’s Admiralty Stock Exchange is among the largest in the world by market capitalization, at $5.9 trillion as of Q1 of 2037. Its major banks, Dominion Bank, Chartered Bank and Standard Bank, are among the largest in the world, and have been ranked as the 3rd, 4th, and 6th most stable and strongest banks respectively. Nolis also maintains a small secondary sector; focused on the manufacturing of electronics and the refining of oil.

The nation’s currency, the Nolis dollar, is pegged at a ratio of 5.1 to 1 with the Caphirian Aureus. Notes are issued by one of three banks, Chartered Bank, Dominion Bank, and Standard Bank, each of which has to deposit an equivalent sum in Aureus’ with the central bank when issuing currency. This ensures that the dollar is backed by one of the largest foreign reserves in the world, guaranteeing a stable exchange rate.

A view of the cityscape and anchored ships from the northern shore of the Aberdeen Strait.

 Income, poverty and wealth
Although with the 4th highest GDP per capita, Nolis continues to have one of the world’s lowest rates of income mobility and the highest rates of wealth inequality, with a Gini coefficient of 48.2. With the exception of healthcare services, a majority of the nation’s welfare programs have gone underfunded in recent years, exacerbating these issues.

According to the national census, after years of growth, median household income has reached an all-time high, although income inequality has as well. Wealth remains tightly concentrated; with just 10% of the population possessing over 80% of the nation’s household wealth. As maintained by the Central Bank, the top 1% of income earners continue to control 41.2% of the nation’s wealth, with the number growing as Nolis continues to develop as a tax haven.

Housing
A public housing complex in Little Punth. With high amounts of investment into Nolisian property, real estate values have risen sharply since 2000. Exacerbated by limits of land area and the limited number of public housing units available, the city-state today has a remarkably low rate of home ownership. Over 67% of the nation’s housing stock comprises private permanent housing, with only 10% and 23% being subsidized or public housing, respectively. As private housing is primarily purchased as an investment by higher income groups, housing for the average Nolisian accounts for over 41% of household expenditure. This has led rise to the term sandwich class, referring to a middle-class income group which does not qualify for public assistance, yet is not able to afford private residences.

According to the office of the Auditor-General, this can be primarily traced back to the government’s lack of recent interference in the economy. During a wave of immigration in the 1960s and 70s, the nation constructed large amounts of public housing. By 1989, over half of the housing stock was public or subsidized. However, in recent years, there has been a lack of political will for the construction of new developments, which may be due to the increasing influence of foreign and local elites within Nolisian politics.

Demographics
Distribution of Nolis’ population across age and sex as of 2037. As of 2037, the population of the Republic of Nolis is 6,532,198. Of these, 67%, or 4.3 million, are citizens, while 32%, or 2.2 million, are foreign nationals holding residency status, either permanent or temporary. Between 2020 and 2036, the population of Nolis grew by 1 million, representing a 16% population increase. As both birth and death rates remain low, the main driver of population growth is primarily immigration. It is generally regarded to be in stage 4 of demographic transition.

Nolis is considered to be an “immigrant nation”, and its economic, political and social policies continue to reflect this nature. While expanded immigration has faced scrutiny in recent years due to the nation’s housing shortage, a majority of Nolisians and every one of its political parties continue to support the immigration status-quo. Immigrants once largely originated from Occidental nations, although in recent years Punthite and Audonian immigrantion has largely overtaken.

The city-state’s average population density of 6,031 people per square kilometre makes it the most densely populated nation on Earth. Population is concentrated in the southern districts of Admiralty and Queenstown, making real population density over 30,000 people per square kilometre.

Citizenship
A Nolisian passport, issued to both permanent residents and citizens. 4.3 million Nolisians are Nolis nationals, holding citizenship status, while 1.6 million are foreign or non-Nolisian nationals holding permanent residency status. Citizenship is granted based on jus soli (right of soil, or birthright citizenship) and through naturalization, while permanent residency status can be granted through naturalization or on the basis of jus sanguinis (right of blood). Naturalized citizenship is granted based on 7 years of permanent residency, while permanent residency can be granted through just one year of residency or an investment equal to $500,000.

Since 1991, these two statuses confer equal rights and responsibilities and are de-facto regarded to be synonymous with one another. These include the responsibility to complete national service, the rights to the fundamental freedoms, healthcare and social services, voting rights, the right of abode, and the right to consular assistance abroad, among many others. Although the Republic of Nolis recognizes multiple citizenships, a vast majority of immigrants and expatriates choose to seek permanent residency status due to its lower barriers.

400,000 Nolis residents are foreign nationals with temporary or normal residency status. It confers many of the same rights and responsibilities associated with permanent residency and citizenship, although temporary residents may only vote in district elections.

Language
The Republic of Nolis recognizes no official language, although English, Istroyan and Latin are recognized national languages. English serves as the nation’s lingua franca, being the primary language of administration, business, education, and with fluency in the language an unofficial requirement for both citizenship or permanent residency. Spelling and grammar conventions in Nolis follow Occidental conventions.

All laws, including the Basic Law, are written in English, even though it is the native tongue of only a quarter of the population. As such, a majority of Nolisians remains multilingual, with Latin, Istroyan, Burgoignesc and Corummese popular in ethnic communities.

Transport
Nolis has a highly developed and sophisticated transport network, with over 90% of daily trips made by public transport, the highest proportion globally. Although it has a extensive roadway network, with over 190kms of expressways, car ownership remains low as automotive taxes and rates of traffic congestion continue to rise. There are currently two connections to mainland Sarpedon, the Stonecutter’s Bridge and the Repulse Bay Bridge.

The state-owned yet privately managed Nolis Rapid Transit (RT) maintains an extensive passenger heavy rail service, connecting over 50 metro stations throughout all four districts. With a daily ridership of over 5 million, it serves 67% of all public transit passengers in the city. Nolis also utilizes a large contracted bus network comprised of both expressway and city routes using bus priority techniques, examples of which include exclusive transit lanes on the Central, Eastern and Queenstown expressways.

An RT train in York. Nolis is a major transport hub in Sarpedon, serving many sea and air trade routes. Nolis Scarborough International Airport is a continental aviation hub, serving flights to and from southern Sarpedon to Levantia, and flights from western Sarpedon to and from Audonia and Punth. Over 100 airlines operate from the airport, notably Lion Airways, Air Cartadania and Premiere Airways. It is the 3rd busiest airport by passenger number and 2nd busiest by cargo traffic. Facing capacity issues, construction on a third runway for Scarborough Airport began in 2036.

The Port of Queenstown is one of the busiest ports measured by shipping tonnage handled, at 29 million TEUs annually. Due to the nation’s geographic position between Levantia and Sarpedon, and its multitude of trade agreements, it is the busiest port for transshipment traffic and is the world’s largest ship refuelling centre. The Port of Queenstown alone comprises a major percentage of the national economy.

Healthcare
Queenstown’s St Michael’s Hospital. Healthcare in Nolis is primarily delivered through a national system of publicly-funded healthcare, universal in its nature. It is considered to be the most effective of the nation’s many government programs, contributing to a high life expectancy of 85.8 years. It is “often considered by Nolisians as a fundamental value of their social democracy, a clear example of their values of egalitarianism.” Its single-payer system is guided by the provisions of the 1979 National Healthcare Act. Most services are provided by private entities, with the government ensuring national standards yet staying out of daily care and collecting no information about an individual’s health.

In general, costs incurred by the healthcare system are funded through tax revenue. Nolis’s healthcare system has been considered cost-effective as it is administratively simple; in each case, service providers handle the insurance claim against the state insurer. Therefore, there is no need for individuals to be involved. Virtually all essential care is covered by the system, forgoing the need for a variety of healthcare plans. Although dentistry, optometry and pharmaceutical medications are not officially under the provisions of the National Healthcare Act, they are nevertheless subsidized through a variety of more recent legislation.

This healthcare system does lend to individuals waiting for less essential treatments and diagnostics, with a median wait time to see a specialist being approximately 11 days. This has led to the rise of a small private healthcare sector, catering to higher income Nolisians.

Culture
Nolisian culture is composed of a conglomeration of constituent nationalities under a constitutionally social liberal framework of a "just society" that promotes multiculturalism. It is a key distinguishing element of the city-state's culture.

Nolis' approach to governance emphasizing multiculturalism, which is based on selective immigration, social integration, and suppression of far-right politics, has wide public support. Government policies such as publicly-funded health care, the outlawing of capital punishment, and strong efforts to eliminate poverty; alongside legislation with a socially liberal attitude toward women's rights and LGBTQ rights, assisted euthanasia are indicators of Nolis' political and cultural values.