Umbrellia

Umbrellia, 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 North-East is Vellemia, the South: Damsmar and Montiguarda, and to the West across the Narrow Channel: Cynomy and Makenzie and Athabaska. Lastly, to the North-West lies Nordal.

Umbrellia 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.

Umber Wars of Worship
The Umber Wars of Worship were a series of civil conflicts and unrest between Catholics and the newly formed Protestant and reformed Christian groups across the Holy Agrestic Empire in the 16th century. This period of discontent lasted a span of 56 years. The Holy Agrestic Empire's gradual decline in Vestean geopolitics between the 17th and 19th centuries is largely regarded as a consequence of this period of conflict. It is estimated that approximately seven million people died as a result from the violence, with another three million perishing from the following Mud Famine, lasting from 1563 to 1568.



Year of Uncertainty
The first conflict during this period arose during heightened tensions between the Catholic-ruling majority in the Central Brabantine Plains, Barnia and the Crown River Valley, and the newly-converted protestant and reformist Christian population in Lindenholt and Northern Umbrellia. In an attempt to prevent the new faiths from gaining legitimacy in the empire, Emperor Jordeau de Sagât ordered the 40-member Cabinet of Kings to convene in Janjirie and vote on a motion to persecute those involved and/or following the reformation in 1530. The motion passed with 48% support, with numerous kingdoms abstaining. The unprecedented proportion of abstentions to casted votes put into question the legitimacy of the result as well as the 40% minimum support needed to pass imperial law. The kingdoms of Lindenholt, Atteshaulte and Grénitame, the most powerful kingdoms North of Janjirie at the time, rejected the result and declared their intentions to ignore future bills targeting protestant and reformed communities.

In retaliation, Emperor Jordeau de Sagât covertly promoted sectarian violence against reformed Christians and seized royal properties and assets belonging to royal families residing in the Northern Kingdoms. Catholic and protestant kingdoms began participating in numerous cross-border attacks and property crimes, with the Kingdom of Burbrant receiving the brunt of attacks culminating in the Bleeding July incident where over 28,000 Catholics and 61,500 protestants and reformists died in a series of massacres along the Pujean River. Over the next 4 years, the Kingdom of Burbrant's religious landscape would be transformed into one of the most hostile geopolitical regions in Vestea.

Treaty of Antiennes
The 1535 Treaty of Antiennes officially dissolved the Kingdom of Burbrant and divided the kingdom into 57 separate duchies directly controlled by the imperial government. Of these 57 duchies, 14 were controlled by converted royal families. The Treaty formally declared Protestantism, but not other reformed Christian sects, as a legitimate faith in the larger realm that the public can follow without facing persecution from the state. In addition, it also permitted royals to convert to Protestantism and vice versa without fear of harm or Imperial Removal. Catholicism remained the only acceptable faith held by the emperor, and protestants continued to experience discrimination when seeking occupations, housing and services. The public of the Holy Agrestic Empire, particularly in the Northern kingdoms, would continue to see hastening reformation and eventual capitulation of Catholic rule.

War of the Muddy Plains
By 1543, the kingdoms of Grénitame, Lindenholt and Atteshaulte covertly began supplying reformed sect militias across Umbrellia and the greater realm. The empire began to see consistent attacks against Catholic places of worship and kidnappings of Catholic royal figures, most notably Charles de Fraïsgras, the lord of Grenûde in November of 1543.

In what would be later called the 1543 Janjirie Crisis, Emperor Sagât quietly implemented the seizure of royal assets belonging to converted royal families - namely the houses of de Palisade, of Grénitame, house of de Trünnlanc-Asie of Atteshaulte, and most of the governing houses of Lindenholt. Janjirie’s neutral status within the empire as the Emperor’s personal possession meant this action violated a centuries old tradition protecting the assets and properties of royal families across the empire.

The crisis further escalated when the houses of de Trünnlanc-Asie, de Palisade, de Grôtcien-Rugaire, and [insert Lindian royal house] stationed 60k arquebusiers and 10k cavalry around the perimeter of the city of Janjirie. For 25 days, the houses garrisoned outside the city limits and prevented arms, Kingsmen, and imperial troops from traveling into or out of the city; this blockade was pressed as part of a larger strategy to push for further religious observation rights - particularly from the Calvinist and other reformist sects gaining momentum in Lindenholt and Northern Umbrellia. The War of the Muddy Plains kicked off when the Siege of Janjirie started on November 2nd, 1543. The siege ended in the leveling of Janjirie's Southern and North-Eastern neighborhoods and the destruction of St. Patimeau's Cathedral and surrounding area.

The resulting conflict surrounding Janjirie led to a larger conflict in the greater Crown River Valley between Imperial forces and reformist parties and militias led by converted royal houses. After several unsuccessful Imperial seiges of Moderniste-controlled cities along the Arkaisé River, Southern Catholic powers, namely the kingdoms of Barnie, Burbrant, Ouestterres and Arpitan, formed a coalition in support of Emperor Sagât. After 8 months of sustained Moderniste occupations of several key cities in the Crown River Valley, the coalition of Catholic provincial kingdoms funneled hundreds of thousands of crates filled with weapons, ammunition and crops to Imperial frontlines.

After notable successful Imperial recaptures of Forte Grace, the city of Junjeau and the city of Chancey, Northern powers in the Holy Agrestic Empire, namely the kingdoms of Grénitame, Wildegeux, and Marien, sent 120,000 troops collectively to the Crown River Valley front lines. With approximately 573,255 deaths by November of 1544, the War of the Bloody Plains was the second deadliest conflict up until that point.

Treaty of Jûnjeau
The 1546 Treaty of Jûnjeau followed a short ceasefire in the Crown River Valley region after 3 years of fighting. The Imperial Capital of Janjirie officially became Umbrellia's first secular city, until 1589 during the rule of Emperor Bertraude de Barlïet. The treaty also established the 'Tribunal Religieux Imperial' (Imperial Religious Court), Umbrellia's first public courthouse; common law decisions regarding religious rights set precedents for various jurisdictions of the greater imperial realm.

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.

Administrative Divisions
The United Kingdoms of Umbrellia is comprised of nine crown provinces and a federal administrative zone known as the Janjirie Administrative District (JAD).

Economy
Umbrellia has a mixed economy that combines extensive private enterprise with regular state enterprise and intervention. The government retains considerable influence over key segments of infrastructure sectors, with majority ownership of railway, motorway, electricity, nuclear power and telecommunications. It has been relaxing its control over these sectors since the early 1970s following the dismantling of several crown corporations into multiple private entities. The government is slowly privatizing the state sector and selling off holdings in Umber Telé, Air Umbrellia, as well as in the insurance, banking, finance, and defense industries. Umbrellia's economy is notable for its pharmaceutical, medical, banking and finance industries - with the Aviary Corporation, the 2nd largest company in Umbrellia by market capitalization, having considerable influence in pharma manufacturing, distribution and research & development. Janjirie is home to the Janjirie Stock Exchange, which is part of the greater Vestean Stock Exchange.

Umbrellia is not a member of the Aureizoe and uses the Matte as an official currency. Several parties within the House of Commons are proponents of joining the Aureizone.

Agriculture
Umbrellia has historically been a large producer of agricultural products, wine and grain. Extensive tracts of fertile land in the Burbrantine Plains and Barnese River Flats, the application of new mechanized technology, and VU subsidies have combined to make Umbrellia one of the leading agricultural producers in Vestea. Wheat, poultry, dairy, beef, wine and pork, as well as internationally recognized processed foods are the primary Umber agricultural exports. Wines are primarily consumed within Umbrellia, but and Coors wines are major exports, being internationally consumed products. VU agriculture subsidies to France have decreased in recent years but have remained at $9 billion (USD) for the past 4 years. Last year, Umbrellia sold 38.1 billion aureis of transformed agricultural products. Agriculture is an important sector of Umbrellia's economy: 5.3% of the active population is employed in agriculture, whereas the total agri-food industry made up 5.1% of Umber GDP in 2003.

Tourism
With 74 million visitors in 2017, Umbrellia is one of the top travel destinations in the world. Due to its central location in Western Vestea, Umbrellia is a popular travel destination and middle country for tourists passing through to other neighboring countries. 37% of visitors staying in Umbrellia for less than 24hrs were traveling between Lindenholt and Damsmar, with traffic peaking in the Summer. The hospitality and tourism industry contributed 7.3% to Umbrellia's annual GDP in 2017. The most popular landmarks in Umbrellia include (annual visitors): Cercle Sagât (9.4 million), Mont Couronne (3.2 million), Ruelles des Pièces (1.4 million), Musée Lorrône (1.1 million), Musée d'Aramaunde (858,000).

Janjirie
Janjirie is the largest city in Umbrellia with an estimated metro population of 11.5 million people as of 2018. Janjirie has some of the most renowned museums dedicated to the fine arts. The Musée Lorrône has one of the largest classical collections in the world. The city features over 80,000 restaurant, with many showcasing ethnic foods from across the world in the Quartier d'Épice (Spice Quarter). There are over 2,000 hotels in the Greater Janjirie area, with 96 of those being five-star rated.

Energy
Electrique Umbère (EU) is the main electricity generation and distribution company in Umbrellia, is a crown corporation. Nuclear power is the primary source of electricity generation in the country, however, the remote crown province of Trôtaire sources most of its power from natural gas and hydroelectric dams. There are 46 nuclear power plants in Umbrellia, with 3 under construction as of January 2020.

Transportation
Umbrellia's railway network expands 27,982 kilometers

Pharmaceuticals
Pharmaceuticals and medical equipment are two of the biggest Umber exports by income annually. In 2019, exports in pharma and medical equipment accounted for roughly 26% of total exports. The world's largest pharmaceutical conglomerate: the Aviary Corporation, was founded in 1921 following the first uses of insulin to treat diabetes and has faced several periods of rapid expansion to become a multinational corporation.

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%.

Religion
Umbrellia is a secular country in which freedom of religion is a constitutional right. Umber religious policy follows the concept of laïcité, a committed and strict separation of church and the powers of state.

According to a survey held in 2016 by Institut Umbère (IU), Christians make up 77.8% of Umbrellia's total population, 15.1% had no religion (atheism or agnosticism), 2.0% were Muslims, and the remaining 0.3% belonged to Hindusim, Judaism or remained undecided. The current Jewish community in Umbrellia is the fourth-largest in Vestea and the sixth-largest in the world, estimated at 200,000 about 0.02% of the population as of 2016.

Agrestic Catholicism has been the predominant religion in Umbrellia for more than a thousands years, though church attendance and the number of those identifying as Catholic have been in decline for decades. Among the 53,500 religious buildings in Umbrellia, 81% are Agrestic Catholic. During the French Revolution, activists conducted a brutal campaign of de-Christianisation, ending the Catholic Church as the state religion. Attacks on clergy and churches were common, with iconoclasm stripping the churches of statues and ornaments. After alternating between royal and secular republican and monarchic governments during the 19th century, in 1905 Umbrellia passed the 1886 law on the Separation of Faith and Law, which established the principle of laïcité.

Umbrellia recognizes religious organisations according to formal legal criteria that do not address religious doctrine. Conversely, religious organisations are expected to refrain from intervening in policy-making. Churchcrime is a specific offence outlined in the 'Criminal Activities Index of Umbrellia' (CAIU) which describes deliberate attempts by a religious organization to affect government policy, notably lobbying. Certain small religious groups such as the Altruist Church are regarded as cults, preventing them from achieving the same official recognition and constitutional rights as other religions.

Health
The Umber health care system is one of universal health care largely financed by government national health insurance. Before 1962, Umber health insurance was largely private, with public options differentiating province by province. In 2015, Umbrellia spent 12.2% of GDP on health care, or US$X per capita, a figure much higher than the average spent by countries in Vestea. Approximately 83% of health expenditures are covered by government funded agencies.

Care is free for people affected by chronic diseases such as cancer, AIDS or cystic fibrosis. Average life expectancy at birth is 80 years for men and 84 years for women, one of the highest of the Vestean Union and the World. There are 4.67 physicians for every 1000 inhabitants in Umbrellia, and average health care spending per capita was US$X in 2018. As of 2013, approximately 165,000 inhabitants (0.19%) of Umbrellia are living with HIV/AIDS.

Umbrellia—like other rich countries—faces an increasing and recent epidemic of obesity, due mostly to the replacement in Umber eating habits of traditional healthy Umber cuisine by highly processed foods and fast food. The Umber obesity rate is currently plateauing at 19.4% for females and 18.2% for males. Authorities now regard obesity as one of the main public health issues and fight it fiercely. In 2019, 4 Umber provinces introduced bans on junk food in schools and hospitals. Moreover, rates of childhood obesity are slowing in Umbrellia, while continuing to grow in other countries.