Umbrellia

Umbrellya, officially the United Kingdoms of Umbrellia (or "Royaumes Unis de l'Umbèreterre" in Umbèrge), is geographically situated in Western Vestea. Physically, Umbrellia's strategic position in Western Vestea has involved it in numerous conflicts and movements throughout history. To the North, Umbrellia borders Lindenholt, to the East is Felsinia and Santvily, the South: (Seven) and (Catalonia), and to the West across the Narrow Channel: Cynomy and Makenzie and Athabaska. Lastly, to the North-West lies Nordal.

Umbrellya joins a handful of other democratic Vestean nations within the Western democratic realm. As such, Umbrellia has joined several organizations promoting or highlighting its democratic nature; most notably, the Vestean Union.

Location and borders
An overwhelming majority of Umbrellia's territory is located in Western Vestea and is called Metropolitan Umbrellia. This characterization helps separate it from its several overseas territories. Umbrellia is bordered by Lindenholt and Ripuaria to the North, Santvily and Felsinia to the East, Damsmar to the South and Valotinia to the South-East by land. It also borders the Narrow Channel to the West, which separates it from Cynomy and Makenzie and Athabaska. Except for the North, most of Umbrellia's land borders are marked by notable mountain and hill ranges that shield it from foreign invasion. The ? mountain range to the West is the country's most notable mountain range, which includes Mt. Gris, the tallest mountain in Umbrellia at 4,037 meters. Umbrellia is also home to several major rivers that have made offensive attacks difficult. The Pujean and Arkaisé (Arkas) rivers both originate in the ? mountain range and protect the North Umber Plains that are the most vulnerable to invasion. These rivers also provide abundant water supply for agriculture and cultivation in the Crown River Valley core region. The Obaide, Appléans, Humbelle an Luttosce rivers all feed into the Bay of Munstergeux and support the country's largest agricultural exporter: Abélosce-Barnie. Due to its location in Western Vestea along the coast, Umbrellia lies in the Northern Temperate Area.

Umbrellia covers 575,936 km2, making it one of the biggest countries in the Vestean Union. It possesses a wide range of landscapes including the ? mountain range to the West, the Burbrantic Central Plains, the Grénitame river valley, and the hilly bayous of Marien.

Climate
Metropolitan Umbrellia spans quite a distance across Western Vestea. Most of Umbrellia experiences an oceanic climate (Cfb), with pleasantly warm and wet summers coupled cool and damp winters. In Umbrellia's south, centered around the cores of Appléans and Munstergeux, Umbrellia experiences a warm-summer mediterranean climate (Csb) featuring warm and dry summers as well as cool and wet winters. A subalpine climate (Dfc) is found along the ? mountain ranges touching the provinces of Grénitame and Trôtaire where summers are chilly and damp, and winters are very cold and snowy.

Politics
Umbrellia is a representative democracy with a monarch as a head of state but prime minister as the head of government. The current monarch is King Olivier XII born of House of Barlïet, he was sworn in on September 8, 1979 at the age of 34.

The current constitution dates from 1832 following the establishment of the First Republic. Umbrellia ranks in the top 20 percent of the most peaceful countries in the world, according to the Ardin Peace Index. The prime minister appoints the cabinet according to elected MPs in each general election. The president is elected by popular vote every 4 years, 2 years for a minority government. The current prime minister is Ronalde Crowemine, leader of the Parti Travailliste Umbère (Umber Labour Party).

Umber voters elect a bicameral parliament consisting of a 424-member lower house (House of Commons) and a 120-member Crown Assembly. The House of Commons is elected under first-past-the-post (FPTP) method, similar to that used in many parliamentary political systems. The Crown Assembly is elected under proportional representation, with the number of senators being elected according to local provincial population.

When sitting in joint session, members of the House of Commons and the Crown Assembly form the Federal Nave (Nef Fédérale). The Federal Nave is formed on three situations: when a new prime minister takes the oath of office; when the prime minister is found guilty of an indictable offense under the Umber Criminal Code and is brought to a federal tribunal, and/or when a prime minister is unable to continue exercising their duties. To date, only the first and third instances have occurred.

Lastly, the judicial branch plays a crucial role in decision-making. Its major institutions include the Supreme Court of the United Kingdoms of Umbrellia; 76 federal courts in all 9 provinces and the Janjirie Federal Administrative District, 9 provincial high courts, and the Federal Tribunal of the United Kingdoms of Umbrellia. On the approval of the Crown Assembly, the House of Commons appoints new justices to the 76 federal courts. Each provincial parliament appoints justices in their respective provincial high courts.

Rule of Law
Umbrellya uses a common law legal system allowing courts to act independently from the government to make court decisions pertaining to criminal law. However, since the Criminal Identities Act (1876) became law, the identities of everyone involved with a criminal case are concealed from public knowledge, except for the judge. Jury members, attorneys, the defendant, the accused, witnesses and those giving testimonies (except by experts) are kept anonymous. The only aspect that becomes public knowledge is a description of the crime, expert testimonies (if applicable), a description of the crime and the final decision made by a judge or jury.

Political scientists have described Umbrellia's past criminal justice system as being one of the most peculiar and cruel systems in the Vestean Union and surrounding Vestea. Before sweeping criminal justice and prison reform in the 1980s and 1990s, Umbrellia consistently ranked at the top of judicial corruption and inmate fatality lists. Existing legal anomalies carried into the new century were standardized 35-year life sentences and Labour for Life (Vie dur Labeur). In addition, heinous crimes outlined in the Criminal Activities Index of Umbrellia, like first-degree murder - for example, not only carry a life sentence, but a Labour for Life sentence. This punishment requires the convicted to be exercised through manual labour (i.e. on a federally sanctioned corrective farm or mine) 7 days a week for 12 hours a day until their sentence has been fulfilled (excluding federally observed holidays). Capital punishment has been abolished in Umbrellia since 1965. Criminals deemed undesirable as highlighted by the Grievous Crimes Against Humanity Act (1889) can have their citizenship stripped of them indefinitely and later be banished from the country. A typical example of banishment is being left at sea or in an overseas colony. To date, only 214 guilty verdicts have had this sentence. However, even though this sentence is still a valid consideration for criminal courts, no verdict since 1969 has included it.

Demographics
With approximately 82.7 million people, Umbrellia is one of the most populous countries in Western Vestea. Umbrellia is furthermore considered an outlier to its surrounding highly-industrialized economies as it has one of the highest natural population growth brought by a fertility rate of 2.1. It's fertility rate has since dropped from 2.8 during the which saw unprecedented natural population growth. Despite the drop, Umbrellia's natural growth rates remain the highest in the Vestean Union.

Ethnic Groups


Umbrellia is also a very ethnically diverse country in contrast to its surrounding neighbors. About 57.2% of of Umbrellia recognizes as Greater Umber (North Umber, 34.5%; Central Umber, 18.7%). Joining the union are the two major minority groups: the Barnese (22.3%) and the Valotinians (12.2%). These ethnic groups control separate provincial kingdoms within the union with their own parliaments; the Barnese are a majority in Abélosce-Barnie and the Valotinians are a majority in Ouestongrestie and Becaleur. There are also numerous smaller minority groups throughout Umbrellia proper. Since the 1960s amid Anetal's rapid decolonization, Umbrellia has welcomed millions of migrants (mainly economic) which further enhanced Umbrellia's multicultural identity. These groups comprise a majority of Umbrellia's Muslim and Sikh populations.

Umbrellia has a large Gypsy population, numbering between 60,000 to 150,000 (2018). It's common for foreign Romani people to be deported back to their countries of origin, typically in Eastern Vestea.

Umbrellia remains a top destination for incoming migrants. There are numerous programs offered by both federal and provincial authorities that target economic migrants. As of 2018, there are approximately 4.9 million non-Vestean people living in Umbrellia. 72% of annual immigrants consistently reside in the Greater Janjirie Metro Area, with Munstergo taking another 14%.