Faneria

Faneria (Fhs. Fhainnlannacharean) is a unitary parliamentary republic situated in northern Levantia. Largely dominated by a Fhainnin Gaelic population in its more heavily populated southern regions along the Vandarch Sea, the country includes Gothic, Coscivian, and Aenglish-origin minorities for a total population of over 351 million. It consists of twenty-nine metropolitan provinces, one overseas province, two territories, and two semiautonomous Republics which span roughly 1.9 million square miles; it borders Kiravian Scapa to the northwest by sea, Caergwynn to the north and east, and Fiannria to the east, as well as sharing maritime borders with several nations across the Vandarch. The national language is Fhasen.

Demographics
Faneria's population was recorded as 374,252,312 persons as of the 2027 Annual Census, making Faneria the ninth most populous country in the world and the fourth most populous in Levantia, just behind Burgundie. Population growth varies by region within the country, with an overall slight population growth year on year. Tax incentives in favor of 1-3 children families have contributed to population management since the 1980s.

Human Geography
Faneria's population can be broken into several major groups largely by geographic belts, with a great degree of subnational admixture between ethnic subgroups in the country making distinctive cultural regions difficult to accurately portray beyond generalizations. The majority of the population (roughly seventy percent) live within the Vandarch Basin, with another fifteen percent living in the Transisthmus and western coast; the remainder are spread into mountain communities and along the northern coasts, with marginal populations in the overseas territories.

The country's largest city by population is Teindún, a conglomeration of several cities north of the capital, Oirthidún, both of which straddle the Rhydwel River. Its second largest city is Sethsport, with Rihsport third, Oirthidùn itself fourth, and Leighlinbridge fifth. Rihsport and Hazelston-Dúnby, the latter of which is located in the Transisthmus, are the largest cities by population and physical area outside of the Vandarch Basin.

Health
Faneria's Office of Civil Services has operated a basic public heathcare system since 1916, originally in the form of subsidies for medical operations. Since then, the healthcare system has expanded significantly, and now operates as a universal single-payer system with prices set by the government. Public healthcare in Faneria covers chronic conditions, basic services, and most non-elective surgeries in their entirety or majority, and works in cooperation with the large native medical production sector to maintain a high quality of service in exchange for consistent, guaranteed contracts. Initiatives in other areas, such as the particularly well-mixed diet enjoyed by many in the country, help alleviate costs and keep the system competitive with international healthcare, making the Fhainnin healthcare system marginally better ranked than Caphiria's at third place globally as of 2027, with the two countries exchanging places regularly since 2004. Faneria spends roughly 1.3 Trillion Talers annually on the healthcare system, equating to $3,490 per capita, 16.3% of the national budget, and 7% of GDP, which does not include medical research funds paid out by the Office of Commerce.

Ethnic Groups
The ethnic makeup of the country is fairly broad among nations in northern Levantia, with the primary ethnic group being the Marfhainn, or Sea Fhainn (almost universally shortened to Fhainn). This group originates around the Vandarch Sea and forms the cultural and linguistic core of the country, and a significant plurality of the country's population consist of ethnic groups related to the Fhainn. These include the Sheafhainn, who live in western metropolitan Faneria,

Language
Faneria's de facto and legal language is Fhasen, an administrative language developed in the 17th Century to circumvent regional dialects and create a national 'high culture' to cement the largely military gains made from the 15th Century onwards. Fhasen is the only mandatory language taught in public schools and is formally heavily regulated and standardized. Due to its nature as an artificial language, Fhasen is not mutually intelligible with other Gaelic languages such as Faeskt or Caeric. Informally, Aenglish, Baland Coscivian, Kiravic Coscivian and Culoch Gaelic are the largest non-Fhasen languages in use, as well as Faeskt and Namhene being spoken in some localities. Many regional dialects of pre-Fhasen Gaelic exist in modernity as slang or regional accents, and are in rare cases spoken as dialects in small enclaves.

While the use of Fhasen is a binding cultural element within the country, most people speak a second language, typically Aenglish. The dialect of Aenglish developed in Faneria is relatively closely related to Julian Aenglish and is commonly a conversational or trade tongue, whereas Fhasen is the language of contracts, technical instructions, and law. In 2030, census records indicated a 73% rate of multilingualism among adults 20 or over, with approximately 24% of the population self-describing as speaking three languages or more on a conversational level, typically including both Fhasen and Aenglish.

Religion
Faneria has a long history of religious toleration marred by periods of religious persecution, selective privileges towards groups such as Aenglish settlers, and reactive religious lockdown under the early Republic. Christianity was originally introduced to the country in the form of syncretic faiths, with mainstream Christian faith becoming a plurality within the Ninerivers region prior to the first local Crusades in the 12th Century AD, where faith was used mainly as a casus belli for larger lowlands states to subjugate highland clans. The Catholic Church was the predominant faith afterwards, though the country briefly switched between a lax Catholic monarchy and several state-supported Protestant sects during the First and Second Princes' Wars. Afterwards, Catholicism was officially instated as the state religion, though exceptions would be created for Aenglish Protestants, who arrived in droves on the invitation of later monarchs, as well as a blind eye being turned towards the few pagan practices extant in the various interior mountain ranges of the country.

Post-Revolution, the Fhainnin Popular Republic practiced a period of severe anticlerical activity during which baptisms, construction of new churches, public worship, and religious exemptions from all state functions and laws was observed. While intended to break the power of religion in the country, these policies proved extremely unpopular particularly in rural and semi-urban areas, leading to a relaxation of antireligious state policy. Since 1927 and the official establishment of the Republic of the Fhainn, the state has practiced a policy of, in which the state is considered a protector against religious involvement in public life. As a result, religion is typically considered a private affair, though increasing religious pushback has lead to the establishment of openly Christian-centric blocs within politics under the banner of 'traditional values'.

The country also retains small minorities of several Protestant groups, as well as a plurality of irreligious people. Other faiths exist to a lesser extent within the country but play a minimal role in social life, including pagan sects, which in spite of some growth due to population increases in the last century have been unable to reestablish themselves as notable social forces.

Cuisine
Faneria's cuisine incredibly diverse, with a primary Fhainnin diet existing alongside regional diets centered on the local Coscivian, Aenglish, Kilikas, and Ultmarine Gothic cultures. Faneria's agricultural industry is largely centered on ranching and mixed rye and vegetable farming, with several notable wheat, wine and fruit regions in the Vandarch basin supplementing local foodstuffs. Seafoods, including crabs, fish, eels, and several species of freshwater kelp and algae being relied on heavily throughout history. Aenglish and Ultmarine Gothic cuisine in Faneria tends to favor red meats and wheat breads, whereas Kilikas and Coscivian foods rely heavily on saltwater seafoods and potatoes. Medieval dishes such as pudding bread, various stews, and smoked meats remain popular in the country alongside processed snacks and candies, with the government using vice taxes to penalize several types of junk foods.