State of Bepistan

State of Bepistan Бепистан (Russian)
Flag State seal
Anthem: "Farewell of Slavianka"
Status	Active
Location	Brooklyn, New York
Capital and largest city	Laptevograd
Official languages	English Russian
Religion	Eastern Orthodoxy
Demonym(s)	Bepistani
Government	Anocratic state
• Chancellor	Matthew Laptev
Legislature	National Assembly
Independence  from the United States
• Establishment as a kingdom	5 October 2018
• Reformation into anocracy	25 February 2021
Area
• Total	157.068 km2 (60.644 sq mi)
HDI (2021)	0.875 very high
Currency	Bepistani dollar (Ƀ) (BPD)
Time zone	UTC−5, +8 (EST, IRKT)
Date format	mm/dd/yyyy
Driving side	right
Calling code	+1
Microcode	BP
IMSO 1 code	BPS
Internet TLD	.bps

Bepistan (Russian: Бепистан, US: /bɛpɪstæn/ (listen)), officially the State of Bepistan, is a transcontinental self-declared sovereign state, often known as a micronation, located within the United States and Russia. The Bepistani Reich consists of eighteen noncontiguous claims, comprised of ten provinces, one federal province, seven territories, and three military zones all located in the northern hemisphere, with the majority of claims located throughout the New York metropolitan area, as well as one territory Rhode Island, and two provinces in the Irkutsk Oblast. The capital of the Bepistani Reich is Laptevograd, and its largest province is Shell Bank.

Bepistan was initially established constitutional monarchy on 5 October 2018 as the Kingdom of Bepistan, which lasted for two and a half years until February 2021, throughout which, the nation transitioned into an anocratic state led by a chancellor, with a National Assembly as the primary legislative body of the state.

Etymology

Inspired by the name of the Kekistani movement, the name Bepistan was chosen as a portmanteau of a satirical misspelling of the drink Pepsi and -stan, a Persian suffix meaning "a place where anything abounds" to purposely create a name similar to many Central-Asian republics.

Official names

• 5 October 2018 – 20 February 2021: Kingdom of Bepistan
• 20–25 February 2021: Bepistan
• 25 February 2021 – 1 January 2024: Bepistani Reich
• 1 January 2024 – present: State of Bepistan

History

Foundation and Early Days

Early flag concept, never adopted.

The State of Bepistan was originally established as a constitutional monarchy on 5 October 2018 as the Kingdom of Bepistan, with the assistance from Calvin White, at the time, the prince of the Kingdom of Auvenum. Calvin White would later serve as the second prime minister of Bepistan after Nicholas Fisher was expelled for inactivity. During the kingdom's early days, Bepistan would maintain close relations with Auvenum, Misberia and Aenderia.

Reform Act era

In December 2018, the Bepistani parliament passed the Bepistani Reform Act, which declared the creation of several new government offices and establishment of new territories. The reform act successfully brought in an active parliament and other government organs, and was considered one of the most successful times during Bepistan's monarchic period.

White Island dispute

Final proposal on how to split White Island.

In early March 2019, relations with the Kingdom of Auvenum quickly began deteriorating after a personal dispute between Fisher, White, and Laptev, as a result of which, Auvenum demanded full control of White Island and surrounding territory, including what is now Shell Bank. Shortly after, Auvenum revised their demands to the north part of the island and the west mainland shoreline. In an effort to resolve the conflict without military aggression, Auvenum and Bepistan had joined the then newly-established Cupertino Alliance, with Jayden Lycon and William Efton of Aenderia moderating the dispute.

After two weeks of debate and numerous propositions on how to split the island, an ultimatum was agreed upon in which the would be latitudinally split down the middle, with Auvenum in control of the northern half and Bepistan in control of the southern half. Both nations had also agreed to a buffer zone spanning two meters outwards from the border into both nations that would last for a month after the day of agreement, after which both nations could occupy the remaining two meters for their borders to be in direct contact.

Transition into anocracy

In late January 2021, Bepistani officials discussed restructuring the government into a more centrally-powerful state. Throughout the course of February 2021, the Kingdom of Bepistan was reorganized into a single-party, semi-autocratic government taking inspiration from the Ausverian Volksrepublik and similar nations after witnessing the slow decline of the nation's previous form of government, and volatility of democratic republics like Aenderia. The single-party mandate was lifted on 25 July 2021, but the government remains semi-autocratic.

Government and politics

Early government

Before the government was restructured in February 2021, the State of Bepistan existed as a parliamentary constitutional monarchy ruled by a king and prime minister, with legislation drafted by a unicameral parliament. This system lasted until late 2020 after which its unnecessarily large size proved to be difficult to maintain, starting a period of inactivity.

The King of Bepistan served as the ceremonial figurehead and head of state. His power was severely limited by the constitution, preventing the king from almost any involvement with the kingdom's main legislative branch; the king was only allowed to issue royal decrees as long as they were deemed constitutional by the parliament, and allowed only one veto for each law passed by the parliament, after which a law would often return to be revised and drafted without any further obstruction. On the other hand, the prime minster of Bepistan would be one of the most powerful members of the government, as they were the de facto speaker of the parliament and their vote weighed twice that of a regular representative.

The biggest flaw of this early system was a bloated legislature. The constitution required two representatives in parliament for each district, a requirement eventually requiring more than twenty members to fill all empty seats. Acquiring such a large number of active members of government proved to be a tedious effort considering Bepistan's small citizenship count at the time, and often many individuals that initially expressed motivation when campaigning for a seat in the parliament would go silent within days of being admitted, leading to little to no laws passed for months despite efforts to organize weekly sessions.

Chancellor

Chancellorship is the highest power a person can have in the State of Bepistan. The chancellor is the de facto head of state and government and has the ultimate say about every proposition passed forward by the National Assembly, being able to veto or revise propositions at will, and issue executive orders when needed. The chancellor is also the commander in chief of the army of Bepistan.

National Assembly

Previously known as the Reich Council, the National Assembly of the State of Bepistan is the nation's single legislative branch, responsible for regularly drafting laws aligned with the demands of the Bepistani citizens. The National Assembly is comprised of one representative for each province, elected every half a year on the 20 October and April, although can be appointed by the Chancellor when deemed necessary.

Ministries

Ministries are executive bodies of the State of Bepistan that manage specific sectors of public administration outside the direct jurisdiction of the National Assembly, often carrying out

Ministry of Transportation

See also: Transportation in Bepistan

The Ministry of Transportation of the State of Bepistan is responsible for managing all transportation-related aspects of the nation. Its duties include the planning, construction, and maintenance of road, rail, air, and marine infrastructure, as well as drafting regulations, designing road signage, and the operation of state-owned transportation companies including BepisRail and BepisAir.

Political parties

Main article: Political parties in Bepistan

After the transition to autocracy in late February 2021, Bepistan became a single party state. Upon the chancellor's order, the single-party restriction was lifted on 25 July 2021 and gave citizens the right to create their own political parties with the intention of establishing broader ideological diversity.

Logo		Name		Party Leader	Spectrum	Ideologies	National Assembly
		National Party of Bepistan	BNP	Matthew Laptev	Right-wing	Regulated capitalism Industrialism Nationalism Technocracy	2 / 10
		Independent	IND				0 / 10

Administrative divisions

All of Bepistan's administrative regions are located in the northern hemisphere, with the majority located in the United States, as well as two provinces located in Russia. Territorial divisions in the Bepistani Reich are classified into 5 major groups: provinces, federal provinces, territories, national parks, and military occupied zones.

Provinces are major claims with representation in the National Assembly, while federal provinces are special regions of Bepistan with the status of a province, but without assembly representation. The designation of provinces as federal provinces is usually reserved for administrative centers such as Laptevograd, because of its status as the capital city and chancellor's residence. Laptevograd was the first federal district of Bepistan and was given its federal status on 26 March 2022.

Territories are often minor, uninhabited land claims with land deemed suitable for settlement, and military zones are areas under the direct control of the Bepistan Army. Like federal provinces, territories and military zones are also not represented in the National Assembly.

Flag		Name	IMSO 1-2 code	Area	Population	Officials	Established
		Laptevograd	LPT
Provinces
		White Island	WTI
		Shell Bank	SHB
		Plumb Beach	PMB
		Canarsie Pol	CNR
		Ruffle Bar	RFB
		Brother Islands	BTI
		Shooters Island	SHR
		Hoffman and Swinburne Islands	HSI
		Metallurgsk	MTG
		Bolshoy Lug	DTC
Territories
		Subway Island	SUB
		Belmont Island	BEL
		Bay Ridge Branch	RDG
		Rockaway Beach Branch	RCK
		Montauk Cutoff	MTK
		North Shore Branch	NRS
		Scalloptown	SCL	0.31 km²
		Oak	OAK
		Leax	LEA
Military zones
		Kissena Corridor Military Zone
		Riverside Military Zone
		Kings Park Military Zone

Economy

Currency

The official currency of the Bepistani Reich is the Bepistani dollar. Originally planned to be equal in value to 1/50th of a gram of gold, the current exchange rate of the Bepistani dollar is pegged at par with the United States dollar, although it is also accepted as valid legal tender throughout Bepistani claims in the United States because of its covenience.

Agriculture

A typical weekly harvest from Bolshoy Lug, showcasing the wide variety of produce grown in the province.

Bepistan has a mildly large agricultural sector which acts as the nation’s primary source of income through the growth and sale of produce. The majority of produce is grown in the overseas province of Bolshoy Lug, where it is locally processed into products such as pickled vegetables, fruit jams, and preserves, and sold.

Bepistani farms grow a wide variety of crops including vegetables such as cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, squash variants, cabbage, radishes, and beets, herbs such as basil, parsley, dill, mint, and lovage, and fruit such as cantaloupe, raspberries, cherries, several varieties of currant, honeyberries, plums, and peaches.

Ecommerce

Bepistan's second largest source of income is through ecommerce through various auction websites like Ebay and Mercari. Items sold mainly include electronics, and new and refurbished computer parts.

Foreign relations

The State of Bepistan is open to diplomatic relations mainly with nations in the New York metropolitan area, and is an active participant of several micronational organizations. In times of intermicronational conflict, Bepistan generally follows a policy of non-interventionism and remains neutral, unless doing otherwise would pose a direct threat to the sovereignty of the state.

Recognized states; No diplomatic relations

• Certain United Nations member states
• Abkhazia
•  Technocratic Republic of Aethodia
• Artsakh
• Austenasia
• Baustralia
• Calypso
• Catalonia
• Canaan Lake
• Carnovia
• Conch Republic
• Donetsk People's Republic
• Excelsior
• Ikonia
• Kapreburg
• Lake Ronkonkoma
• Liberland
• Luhansk People's Republic
• Molossia
• Norton
• Penn Federal Republic
• Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic
• Sancratosia
• Saspearian
• Sealand
• Smithtown
• Somaliland
• South Ossetia
• Transnistria
• United Republics of Michigan

• Vishwamitra
• Wegmat

Official relations

•  Faltree – 13 July 2021
•  Federal Republic of Ocean States – 20 August 2021
•  Republic of Surdam – 30 October 2021
•  State of Trasona – 24 January 2022

Informal relations

• Ausveria
• Batavia
• Herzetia

Unrecognized states

• Israel

Formerly recognized (now defunct)

•  Canvian Confederation – 10 November 2021
•  Gasconade – 2 November 2021
• Tesforia
• Todt Hill

Geography and climate

Bepistan's claims are located entirely in the American Northeast, and in the Lake Baikal region of Russia.

Climate data for Bepistani Territories in New York
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Average high °C (°F)	3 (37)	5 (41)	10 (50)	17 (63)	23 (73)	27 (81)	31 (88)	30 (86)	26 (79)	19 (66)	13 (55)	7 (45)	31 (88)
Average low °C (°F)	-4 (25)	-3 (27)	2 (36)	7 (45)	13 (55)	18 (64)	21 (70)	21 (70)	17 (63)	10 (50)	6 (43)	0 (32)	−4 (25)
Average Precipitation mm (inches)	103.6 (4.079)	89.1 (3.508)	119.9 (4.72)	118.4 (4.661)	102.1 (4.02)	86 (3.39)	104.7 (4.122)	93.3 (3.673)	103.7 (4.083)	94 (3.7)	113.8 (4.48)	113 (4.45)	1,241.6 (48.882)
Source: NOAA

Climate data for Bepistani Territories in Russia
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Average high °C (°F)	-13 (9)	-8 (18)	0 (32)	9 (48)	17 (63)	23 (73)	25 (77)	22 (72)	16 (61)	8 (46)	-3 (27)	-11 (12)	25 (77)
Average low °C (°F)	-23 (-9)	-21 (-6)	-13 (9)	-3 (27)	3 (37)	9 (48)	12 (54)	10 (50)	4 (39)	-3 (27)	-12 (10)	-20 (-4)	−23 (−9)
Average Precipitation mm (inches)	13.4 (0.528)	8.3 (0.327)	11.7 (0.461)	19.6 (0.772)	35.2 (1.386)	67 (2.64)	109.7 (4.319)	87.4 (3.441)	51.7 (2.035)	23.7 (0.933)	19.5 (0.768)	17.8 (0.701)	465 (18.307)
Source: NOAA

Culture

Bepistani culture is a vibrant mix of American and Russian culture, incorporating food, music, language, and holidays.

Cuisine

Bepistani cuisine is mainly a combination of both American and Eastern European foods, but also includes elements from other cuisines (most notably various European and Asian cuisines) because of Bepistan's location in an already culinarily diverse New York City.

Some of the most commonly enjoyed dishes include:

• Sandwiches
  • Chopped cheese (National dish)
  • Bacon-egg-and-cheese
  • BLT (bacon, lettuce, tomato)
• New York-style pizza
• Buffalo wings
• Everything-bagels with cream cheese, capers, and smoked salmon
• Hotdogs, often with chili and cheese topping.
• Mozzarella sticks
• Fried pickles
• Soups
  • Chicken noodle soup
  • Tomato soup served with grilled cheese sandwiches
  • Borscht, served with mayonnaise instead of sour cream.
  • Solyanka, a savory soup made with 3 or more kinds of meat, pickled cucumbers, olives, capers, and lemon juice.
• Pierogi, most often with potato or minced meat.
• Dressed herring (Locally called "fish in a fur coat")

Holidays

Date	Name	Remarks
5 October	Independence Day	The day Bepistan declared independence from the U.S.
27 October	Transportation Day	Day of the opening of the first NYC subway line. On this day, all public transportation in Bepistan is free of charge.
31 October	Chancellor's Day	A day commemorating the Chancellor of Bepistan on his birthday.
31 December	New Years Eve	The very last day of a year.
1 January	New Years Day	The start of a New Year.
7 January	Christmas	Christmas is celebrated on the January because of the Orthodox Church's use of the Julian calendar.

External links

• Official website