Geisenroda
People's Republic of Geisenroda Volksrepublik Geisenroda (Gothic) | |
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 Flag
 Coat of arms
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Motto: Tradition, Sozialismus, Gemeinschaft ("Tradition, Socialism, Community") | |
Anthem: Ein Soldat hat es nicht leicht | |
| Capital and largest city | Saalfeld |
| Official languages | Gothic Hendalarskisch |
| Religion | Coscivian Orthodox Church |
| Demonym(s) | Geisenrodan Gaisen |
| Government | Unitary Semi-Constitutional Monarchy under a Socialist Republic |
• Kaiser | Ernst Orndorff |
• Chancellor | Konrad Ruhl |
| Legislature | Unicameral |
| Volkskammer | |
| Establishment | |
• Declared | 1940 |
| Population | |
• Estimate | 181,545,072 |
• Census | 2035 |
| GDP (nominal) | estimate |
• Total | $4.17 trillion |
• Per capita | $22,990 |
| Gini | 24.2 low |
| Currency | Kaisermark (ℳ︁) |
| Driving side | left |
| Calling code | +850 |
| Internet TLD | .gra |
Geisenroda, officially the People's Republic of Geisenroda, is a country in Levantia. It is neighbored by Hendalarsk to the north and shares a naval border with Kiravia to its south. Geisenroda has a population of 181 million, largely consisting of Gothic people's though with a sizable minority of both Celts and Coscivians. Religiously, Geisenroda possesses one of the largest populations of Coscivian Orthodox Christians in the world, however, small populations of Gothic pagans still exist in the country, along with various branches of Protestantism. The nation consists of eight states operating in a unitary structure.
Geisenroda's history can be traced back to the various Gothic barbarian tribes that once inhabited the area, the first established kingdoms of the area can be traced back to the Gothic Middle Ages, around 720-730 AD. The first evidence of Coscivian Orthodoxy making its roots in the country can also be found around the same time, however, due to the already rather deep-rooted nature of the faith that is mentioned in many sources describing the kingdoms, it is commonly accepted that the religion can be dated back to the Gothic barbarians' raids on ancient Kiravia's eastern shores, the setting up of outposts on the continent and then bringing the faith back to their tribes is the most commonly accepted version of events. Despite the general trends of increasing approachment to the Levantine Empire and Catholicism becoming more accepted in Gothic societies, the then unified kingdoms of ancient Geisenroda rejected these actions and favored a more isolationist and Gothica-centric policy along with increasing persecution of Catholics in the territories. The kingdom's refusals to modernize lead to them being absorbed into several different kingdoms and empires in its lifespan, until a Kiravian backed insurgency made the country independent again in the late 1500's. TBA
Geisenroda's modern history has been known for the country's diplomatic isolation and widespread though relatively moderate sanctions against it, largely by members of the Levantine Union and UNESARP. The country has been under the rule of the United Socialist Party - National Front (USP-NF), as a dominant party system, since the mid-1990's. The state is one of the worlds few planned economies with state owned companies dominating the economy, alongside heavy protectionism and regulations, though private enterprise at a small level is allowed. Since the countries return to socialism it experienced a period of economic recovery and stability from the depression following the attempts at economic shock therapy, however in the following years the country experienced a sharp economic decline with their voluntary default on their foreign debts followed by slow, often below 1% economic growth following the default and the beginning of the application of sanctions, however in recent years economic growth has returned to normal levels. Kiravia has remained a strong and steadfast ally of the country in recent history however and has assisted the country economically and diplomatically. In 2028 Geisenroda withdrew its member status at the League of Nations, referring to the organization as "Fascist, globalist, and imperialist".
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Language
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Religion
Religious affiliations in Geisenroda (2035)
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Culture and Society
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Education
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Health
Healthcare in Geisenroda is completely public with private healthcare providers being made illegal in 2001, the Ministry of Health is responsible for the management of hospitals as well as providing other health related services such as dentistry and eye tests. The countries medical equipment is regarded as satisfactory and up to date as it is often not targeted in sanctions and the country has special laws that make it exempt from tariffs. The country spends 9.7% of its GDP on its healthcare system with healthcare spending per capita being $2,230 per person. The countries average life expectancy at birth is 77.6 years with 40.8 doctors per 10,000 citizens and 9.3 beds per 1,000 citizens. The nation's healthcare system has been criticized, primarily by outside sources, for complete ban on abortion or contraceptives and for little government support for mental health.
Following the fall of communism the nation saw a surge in drug addiction as people found ways to cope with their collapsing living standards, the current government reports low levels of drug related crime, however, international observers believe that, while numbers are still relatively low compared to drug related crimes in other post-communist states, the government is artificially lowering the numbers along with the numbers of HIV/AIDS cases caused by needle sharing.
Attitudes and worldview
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Kinship and family
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Economy and Infrastructure
The economy of Geisenroda experienced severe shocks following the fall of communism in the late 1980's due to the economic shock therapy imposed on the nation, experiencing extreme unemployment, hyperinflation, and a sharp GDP decline. These problems persisted until the reinstatement of socialism in the country where economic indicators once again stabilized. Geisenroda is a centrally planned economy, state-owned enterprises dominate a majority of industries, however, the government allows for the existence of small private at the local level as well as establishing a system of possession for farmers on their land and small business owners. The economy is considered both an emerging and upper-middle-income economy with the state as the largest employer in the nation by a large margin, a large share of the nation's GDP and around one-third of its employment comes from the state-owned manufacturing industry. The economy of Geisenroda is often driven by five-year plans from the central government, directing investment and infrastructure to grow select fields, primarily manufacturing, agriculture, mining, and construction among others.
The country's economy is known for its protectionism and closed off nature in sectors that have strong local presences, even before the introduction of widespread sanctions the government introduced heavy tariffs of up to 20-25% as well as import substitution and strict capital & exchange controls. Upon implementation, these policies had a major impact in reindustrializing the economy after the economic downturn following economic liberalization caused severe industrial decline. The policies have also been credited with helping the country achieve food independence. Foreign trade in the country remains low with most trade primarily on Kiravian products that have been made exempt from several tariffs, price controls for several key goods and a monopoly on foreign trade, alongside the nation's other policies have shown positive results in making the Geisenrodan economy resilient to outside interferences and swings in the global market, however, they have also made the economy of Geisenroda more vulnerable to swings in the domestic and Kiravian markets.
Industries and Sectors
Manufacturing
Geisenroda's industrial base is large and almost universally state-owned, with the production of steel, chemicals, machinery, automobiles, and refined metals (such as aluminum and copper products) being staples of the nation's industry. Though many heavy industrial products are produced in the nation, the electronic manufacturing industry in Geisenroda, and other manufactured products that are associated with electronics such as microchips and semiconductors have been behind the rest of the world by some estimates as much as 10 years. Along with the nations computer manufacturing being outdated and access to modern hardware often requiring being on a waiting list due to the high cost of importing such technology as well as government restrictions and bureaucracy.
Agriculture
Geisenroda's agricultural industry featured both state-owned and collective along with private farms, after the reinstatement of socialism in the country many reforms to agriculture were made to modernize the sector, there were automobile factories and chemical plants that shifted to producing tractors and modern fertilizers along with larger farms owned by wealthy individuals and companies being collectivized while smaller family-owned plots of agricultural land were put in state ownership though with a system of Usufruct put in place, allowing groups and individuals to use and derive property from the land, but not make unsanctioned alterations or destroy the land.
Small and medium sized plots greatly outnumber large-scale collective farms. Most collective farms fall under intensive farming with them often being more export-oriented if local demand is met by smaller farms. The country has around 44% of its total area being used arable land with the country being a large producer of onions, potatoes, tobacco, hops, and various fruits alongside producing a large variety of different grains. Production is able to meet demand very consistently making Geisenroda independent on food.
Mining
Geisenroda's eastern region is abundant in mineral wealth, with the region yielding two-thirds of the country's coal, iron, copper, silicon, nickel, zinc, cobalt, and tin with only potash being produced in higher amounts in other regions of the country. the mining industry in Geisenroda is purely state-owned however in recent times the government has begun encouraging private exploration for deposits by entitling the discoverer to 15% of the mine's profits.
Banking
The banking system of Geisenroda was put into state control shortly after the reinstatement of socialism in the country, currently, five state-owned commercial banking SOEs exist in the country. Following the re-establishment of socialism, the nation's central bank was dissolved, with its functions being taken over by the treasury and a national bank was put in place called the "Geisen Development Bank", the new national bank which was created for the stated purpose of "providing financing for national projects, support the macroeconomic policy of the central government, and support national economic development." The bank works by raising funds for projects deemed as essential and productive and lending money to the respective branch at a low (1-2%) interest rate. State-owned commercial banks are also locked into their roles as commercial banks, with laws preventing any kind of speculative actions by them.
Currency
The currency of Geisenroda is the Kaisermark, after a period of hyperinflation following the government default on international debts in the 2000's the Kaisermark began being issued as a replacement to the previously issued Mark which was almost worthless. The Kaisermark is pegged to the Kiravian Saar at 14 Kaisermark to one Saar. After the dissolvement of the central bank the responsibility of minting and monetary policy was transferred to the treasury of Geisenroda. The government of Geisenroda has taken efforts throughout the years in order to stop the Kaisermark from losing purchasing power and inflating, most efforts in the regard have been successful with Geisenroda having experienced a relatively low inflation rate since the currencies introduction.
Labor
In Geisenroda all workers are required by law to join their respective professions union, all unions are state-run by the Ministry of Labor with independent trade unions being illegal. In sectors that are deemed "essential" by the state workers are not allowed to strike. Workers in Geisenroda participate in forms of workplace democracy with elected managers and mandatory worker representation in state-owned companies. State-Owned companies in Geisenroda are also required to give each worker a share of what their workplace profits on top of their normal wage, this policy was implemented with the intended aim to increase workplace productivity and give more economic power to the nations workers.
Transportation
Geisenroda statistically has some of the lowest levels of car ownership of any developed country and the lowest in Levantia with 205 vehicles per 1,000 citizens. Despite having a large automobile industry, personal cars make up a very small percentage of vehicles produced. Most transportation through cities in Geisenroda is done via free public transportation, primarily busses and trams. Railways in Geisenroda play a large role in transport between cities and different parts of the country, the nation possesses a well-developed road network with almost complete electrification. High-speed rail is seeing an increasing role out, however, still largely remains only between major cities in the country. Maglev rail is seeing an increasing popularity in the country with a maglev rail line connecting the country's three largest cities in a joint Geisen and Kiravian venture with many plans to increase the presence of high-speed maglev rail in the near future.
Freight in the nation is most often moved via rail, however road freight is also very common with the low number of commercial personal cars in the country meaning that the countries roads and highways are often built with freight transport in mind, the country's road system featured much wider roads than is normal and is built to handle heavy loads being put on it. Commercial and passenger airlines and shipping are entirely state-owned with the country's capital, Saalfeld, being the largest hub of air and water commerce as well as possessing the country's largest airport and seaport. The country possesses a well-developed series of canals and waterways, making shipping along them another major source of freight and civilian transport.
Energy
The energy production of Geiseroda is still largely reliant on fossil fuels, however, recent expansions into nuclear energy with the assistance of Kiravia have helped the country slowly transition off of fossil fuels. Geisenroda still receives 45% of its power from coal, natural gas, and oil, 33% from nuclear energy, and 22% from hydroelectric plants. The country has achieved full electrification od residential buildings in the early 2010's and has maintained a stable electric grid, with blackouts rare across cities and towns. The country in a joint venture with Kiravia in the late 2010's to early 2020's began development of nuclear energy which were operational by the end of the 2020's, once the plants were constructed talks began between the governments of Geisenroda and Kiravia about the country exporting energy to assist Kiravia with its energy insecurity one Geisenroda achieved energy independence. Besides hydroelectric power, which has received significant attention from the government, the nation has made little to no effort to transition to renewable "green" energy.
Recently, there has been a substantial series of investments from the Geisen Development Bank towards new projects for the development of pre-existing oil and gas fields, and the building of new processing and refining facilities in line with the country's pushes to achieve energy independence with the help of Kiravia.
Technology
Despite being a large investor into new technologies, particularly in energy and transport, Geisenroda relies on joint technology sharing between it and Kiravia since almost the beginning of the return to socialism, key areas for cross country scientific research include polymer chemistry, single carbon materials, nanoscience, mathematics, software, nuclear technology, and rocketry. The two nations recently have been particularly focusing on nuclear technologies such as fission energy, nuclear desalination plants, and nuclear-powered ships, however, such projects have yet to yield results that can be used in any widespread way. The nation is beginning to make good preogress in the development of robotics technology due to recent technology imports, mainly modern and advanced computers, from Kiravia.
Military
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