Mercia
Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Council of the Diarchal Crowns of the Disciples | |
|---|---|
 Flag Flag
 Emblem Coat of arms
| |
| Motto: '''"Indivisibiliter ac Inseparabiliter" | |
| Anthem: None | |
| United Kingdom Czech Republic | |
| Capital | None |
| Official languages | English Czech |
| Demonym(s) | Mercian |
| Government | Parliamentary diarchy |
• Lords | Richard I Karl von Ravensburg |
• First Minister | Duke Henry Clémens |
| Legislature | Mercian Parliament House |
| Establishment | 2014 2011 as Lurk and St. Peters Republic |
| Population | |
• Census | 45 |
| Time zone | GMT UTC+1 |
| RIS 002 code | DD |
The Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Council of the Diarchal Crowns of the Disciples (otherwise known as Mercia) is a diarchal state, usually referred to as a micronation. It was formed in February 2014 by an Alliance of Crowns of Karl I, Archduke of Loringia, and Richard I, Lord of the Region of Clyro.
Mercia claims land in the United Kingdom (through Clyro) and the Czech Republic (through Lurk) and a large claim in Antarctica inherited from Lurk. It has a largely Germanic culture, with a Celtic minority culture evolving in its UK holdings. An emerging Mercian culture can also be observed in the nation's daily life.
Previously a member of the Würtige Empire, Mercia declared independence in April 2016, after an independence referendum. On 29 August 2016, Mercia expanded further with the inclusion of the Palatinate of Uberquiesenberg, Mercian Esse and Mercian Valdsland. Through the Acts of Union, the Noble Republic of Lurk joined the state as a constituent country, but left in 2020. Mercia rejoined the re-established Würtige Empire in 2021 and has remained a member to this date. Mercia is a member of the Grand Unified Micronational.
Foundation
Mercia was founded through the union of two micronations with vastly differing cultures.
Clyro
The Region of Clyro existed since September 2011 under a republican dictatorship, when it was known as the St Peters Republic. The President-of-State changed the titles used in the nation, letting him become First Consul. The Theodorist Revolution on 31 May 2013 (known as the 'Top-Down Revolution') replaced the dictatorship with a democratic Supreme Soviet. In December 2013, the benevolent Theodorist monarch Basileus Justinian I took absolute control after the failure of the Soviet to run a General Election. He renamed himself His Lordship Richard I, and the nation became the Region of Clyro.
HL Richard I was responsible for the creation of Mercia. Clyro was the first Autonomous Region of Mercia created by the Clyro Reforms on 19 January 2014 (see the History of the Region of Clyro).
Loringia
The Archduchy of Loringia was a Kraj (territorial subdivision) of the Archduchy of Lurk. In 2012, according to an Action Plan, the Archduchy became the Noble Republic of Lurk. A constitutional reform in 2013 saw Lurk transition from a monarchy to a hybrid representative-direct democracy.
On 9 February 2014, Loringia became an Archduchy under Archduke Karl Friedrich von Ravensburg (see Confederation of Lurk). By an Alliance of Crowns, Loringia joined Richard I, Lord of the Region of Clyro to become a second Autonomous Region. Richard I became Lord Spiritual and Archduke von Ravensburg became Lord Temporal.
History
May 2015 General Election
The May 2015 Mercian General Election was the first successful democratic election in the history of the country — or its predecessor Clyro.
Leaders' Debate
The campaign kicked off with a Mercian Party Leaders' Debate on May 1. It was hosted by His Lordship Richard I. The debate was between the National Liberal Party's leader, Baron Fionnbarra Ó Cathail, and Humanist People's Alliance's Baron von Uberquie. Count James Frisch, leader of the Würtige Unionist Party, could not attend the debate due to technical issues.
The debate showed the top issue in the election was religion; particularly, the Mercian Christian Church's relation to the democratic stability. Also discussed was the possible abolition of the meritocratic nobility.
Campaign
The election campaign lasted through May. The National Liberal Party released posters for each Mercian voting range, while the Würtige Unionists released posters aimed at the entire nation. The Humanist People's Alliance founded the Mercian Humanist Magazine, an online news source used throughout the month to explain Humanist policy and attack the policies of the other parties.
On May 21, the first edition of the Mercian Humanist Magazine released an article entitled The Truth About the National Liberal Party. It accused the National Liberal Party of being undemocratic and illiberal, arguing that the party was akin to the Tories (i.e. the right-wing United Kingdom's Conservative & Unionist Party).
On behalf of the National Liberal Party's leadership, Richard I responded with a commentary countering many of the claims made by the Magazine. He restated that the National Liberal party was purely an economic liberal party, and that socially it was civic nationalist and socially conservative. The commentary also reiterated the National Liberal values of balanced preservation of tradition and democracy.
Results
The voting period lasted from May 25 to May 31, and 67% of the population voted. The election used the single transferable vote system. Of the 11 contested seats,
The National Liberals received six seats: three in Loringia, two in Kernollond and one in Wibertsherne. The Würtige Unionists won single seats in Loringia and Wibertsherne, and the Humanists received two in Wibertsherne. One seat in Kernollond went to Baron Chahal, an independent Liberal Democrat candidate. In Wibertsherne, both a National Liberal candidate and an Independent National Socialist candidate were eliminated for receiving insufficient votes.
With a slim majority, the National Liberal Party formed a government, and Baron Ó Cathail became the first democratically elected First Minister in Mercian history. He delivered the first maiden speech. The Humanist People's Alliance (with a higher vote share than the Würtige Unionists) became the official Loyal Opposition, and set up a shadow cabinet.
Union with Amon Lasgalen
The Democratic Kingdom of Amon Lasgalen was founded on 7 October 2013. It was a member of the Sorrenian Federation. King Llewelyn of Amon Lasgalen held dual citizenship; he was also a Mercian Noble. He sat as an MP in the Mercian Parliament House for the National Liberal Party between May 2015 and May 2016 (ultimately losing his seat to a Social Democrat, Count Adam Belcher).
In November 2015, Amon Lasgalen declared independence and joined the Mercian Alliance of Crowns. It left shortly after joining, so Mercia became a diarchy again.
Acts of Union with Lurk
The Noble Republic of Lurk was a micronation in Central Europe and North Antarctica, based around culture and a convoluted Swiss-style democracy. Loringia - a Lurkish territory - had joined Mercia in 2014, and proposals for the rest of Lurk to follow dated back to 2015. Legislation was finally drafted in 2017, but it was dropped quickly.
Eventually, on 11 November 2018, Lurk agreed to the Acts of Union proposed by the Lord Temporal. Loringia was then merged back into Lurk.
November 2015 General Election
The voting period for the November 2015 General Election lasted from November 11 to November 18. There was 60% turnout, down from the May election.
The National Liberals increased their majority to seven seats: three in Loringia, three in Kernollond and one in Wibertsherne. Again, the Würtige Unionists won single seats in Loringia and Wibertsherne, and the Humanists received two in Wibertsherne.
With an increased majority, Baron Ó Cathail stayed as First Minister. The Humanist People's Alliance remained in opposition.
May 2016 General Election
The May 2016 General Election was Mercia's third democratic election. There was again a Leaders' Debate, hosted by HL Richard I. The debate was attended by Baron Fionnbarra Ó Cathail of the NLP, Baron Alejandro Whyatt of the People's Democratic Party, the Social Democratic Party's Earl Anthony Clark and Count Belcher, and the independent Green Socialist Baron von Uberquie. Efforts to increase activity were discussed, as were questions of the Church and possibility of a financial system.
Results
The voting period lasted from April 24 to May 1, and 62% of the population voted. There were two problems with the ballots. A first error, where candidates were listed in the wrong voting ranges, was fixed quickly.
The second problem occured when a candidate switched voting ranges. The change had not been updated in the NLP's manifesto, and so the ballot was wrong for both Wibertsherne and Loringia. The issue remained for four days, during which time the Wibertsherne Reactionary Force was founded. The group threatened to secede from Mercia, but were quickly condemned by Baron Ó Cathail, and Barons Wu and McFarlane in a joint statement. Finally, on May 7 (seven days after the election should have ended), a second ballot was issued.
The National Liberals were the largest party, but lost their majority. They won two seats in Loringia, two in Kernollond and one in Wibertsherne. The People's Democratic Party won two seats in Loringia and one in Wibertsherne, the Social Democrats won a single seat in Kernollond, and Baron von Uberquie won his seat in Wibertsherne.
In Kernollond, both a Social Democratic candidate and an Independent National Liberal candidate were eliminated for receiving insufficient votes.
Aftermath
For the first time in the Mercian history, the National Liberal Party did not have a majority. Baron Ó Cathail stepped down as First Minister (he gave multiple reasons in his announcement).
At the first Parliament session, neither Earl Clark nor Baron Wu attended. Therefore, Earl Eden of the NLP won a vote of confidence and formed a government.This sparked outrage. Many furious articles were published in the following days.
At the next Parliament session, the opposition parties called for a vote of no confidence. Such a vote required a two week nomination and voting period, but this rule was removed by a decree of the Lord Temporal. Following the vote of no confidence, Baron Whyatt became First Minister in a 5-4 vote.
August 2016 by-election
Three seats suddenly opened for election when Baron Billbrough became inactive, Baron Ó Cathail retired from Mercian politics, and Earl Clark left the community.
In the by-election, Marquis Alex Wagner took a seat in Kernollond unopposed. In Wibertsherne, Count Frisch ran as an independent National Liberal against Baron William Harland-Hackenschmidt of the the PDP. In Loringia, there were three candidates: the Green-Socialist Baroness Sophia Albina, Baron Ned Gunderson of the PDP, and Baron James Draxe of the NLP.
A debate with the three Loringian candidates (with Baron Whyatt standing in for Baron Gunderson) was held a few days before the election.
In Loringia, Baron Gunderson won 66% of the vote, with turnout of 56%. In Wibertsherne, Baron Harland-Hackenschmidt won 60% of the vote, with turnout of 71%. Consequently, the PDP gained a plurality of five seats. They continued their coalition with the Green-Socialist Party.
Mercian Esse
On 28 August 2016, the Esse was colonised by Mercia, becoming the Dominion of Esse. Esse's government was replaced by Viceroy Henry Twain and it became subject to Mercian law. On 21 August 2017, the colony came to an end as Esse rejoined the newly independent Essian Commonwealth.
September 2016 vote of no confidence
On 28 August 2016, Palatine-Viceroy von Uberquie motioned a vote of no confidence in Baron Whyatt's leadership. By the end of the week, the vote was 7-5 against Whyatt, and so he lost his office as First Minister. This prompted the People's Democratic Party to be replaced with a new United Future Party.
Palatine von Uberquie was the only nominee to become the next First Minister. Uncontested, he received a majority on September 3 and took office.
March 2018 emergency election
In January 2018, Duke Edward Nathaniel Manfred de Caville was appointed First Minister by the Lords. His called an emergency election for February.
The election was held between the 10th and 17 March, under the party list system. Initially seven seats were available, but this was increased to nine to ensure better representation of the nation. The election was contested between the de Caville's National Liberal Party, the recently reformed Social Democratic Party led by Earl Clark, and the Socialist Revolutionary Party led by Ava Neasa.
The election results were released late as technical errors prevented the Lord Spiritual from accessing the results. The National Liberal Party won 61.5% of the vote and formed a government with 6 seats.
March 2020 re-establishment
Mercia was inactive until March 2020, when Executor-Viceroy Horatio Eden was appointed First Minister by the Lord Temporal. Two brand new political parties were quickly formed: the right-wing Advance! and the left-wing Green Party. The National Liberal Party has also re-established itself.
Numerous bills have been submitted to Parliament, relating to political parties, the nobility, the judiciary, crime, human rights, government accountability, intelligence and security, companies and the 2020 coronavirus pandemic.
On 29 March 2020, Ava Neasa filed a lawsuit in the High Court against the Minister of Internal Affairs, arguing that the government's failure to make marriage available to same-sex couples was a violation of the Human Rights Act 2020. The case is pending.
The next general election will take place between April 24 and May 1. Nominations for the election open on April 17.
Geography
Loringia
Kanton Lurk, Noble Republic of Lurk
Loringia was, by far, the largest of the Lurkish krajs, with land area approximately over one million square meters. It is also one of the most diverse of the Lurkish krajs, as it shares the eastern part of Lurk Hills with the Noble Republic of Lurk, has a large and empty field, the Nek river, the Ryn river and the Nekker Lake. Loringia is split in half by an exclave of the Czech Republic with a residental area, which was not claimed by the Lurkish government. Loringia is maintained jointly by citizens of the Archduchy of Loringia, the Noble Republic of Lurk, and the Czech Republic. Loringia has its own natural park, protected by the Noble Republic of Lurk.
South Loringia
South Loringia is a grassland defined by two rivers, the Ryn river and the Nek river. Nek river flows mostly in the eastern part, closer to the Nekker lake, which flows into Nek. Ryn is a very minor river compared to Nek. However, unlike Nek, it flows into Loringia through a tunnel. Most of South Loringia can be described as a flat grassland, excluding the area near the border with Lurk or the area near the Nekker lake, which are wooded.
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Map of South Loringia
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Map of North Loringia
Region of Clyro
Clyro is mostly a completely natural nation, as although there are more urban hundreds than natural hundreds, natural hundreds contribute to more of Clyro's territory size than the urban hundereds. The rest of Clyro is heavily wooded with areas of grassland comprising a large amount of ground cover also. The aesthetic qualities of the woods and grasslands are maintained by Park Rangers operating out of the UK. All structures in Clyro outside of Oysterburgh are maintained either by UK Park Rangers or UK citizens. The roadways in and out of Clyro are mostly made out of compressed soil, sand and gravel, so that their environmental impact is not as severe as permanent tarmac roadways. However, tarmacced areas exist, such as Declan Bridge and the Maine-Border Roadway that runs between Declan Forest hundred and the UK by way of the Albansfield hundred.
Demographics
Mercia is divided into provinces.
| Province | Citizens | Residents |
|---|---|---|
| Loringia | 1 | 0 |
| Kernollond (Clyro) | 1 | 4 |
| Wibertsherne (Clyro) | 7 | 11 |
| Amon Lasgalen | 3 | 3 |
| Non-Territorials | 11 | 0 |
| Total: | 23 | 18 |
Government and politics
Mercia's government is divided between the diarchy, Parliament, Cabinet and the judiciary.
The Lords of Mercia
The Lords of Mercia hold the position of monarchs in the diarchy. Each Lord has absolute power within his own lands, but each is expected to collaborate with the Mercian Parliament House to produce smooth democratic processes alongside the ease of autocratic rule, to ensure that the voice of the Mercian people is also heard.
The Lords of Mercia each hold a distinct position:
- Karl I, Archduke of Loringia is the Lord Temporal of Mercia, meaning that he oversees the policies of the Mercian Parliament House, and is also the only individual who can ratify the motions passed in that House.
- Richard I, Lord of Clyro is the Lord Spiritual of Mercia, meaning that he oversees all religious practices of the Mercian Christian Church, and also chairs the Synod of that Church.
Llewelyn I, King of Amon Lasgalen was the Lord Praetor of Mercia, meaning that he oversaw all Military, Defence and Constabulary forces in the Mercian nation, and had direct responsibility over the Clyran Defence, Aerospace & Constabulary Offices. Though this position still exists de jure it is de facto vacant with Llewelyn I leaving micronationalism. The National Liberal Party campaigned heavily during the March 2018 election on reinstating and reforming this position.
Branches of government
There are three branches of government: Parliament, Cabinet and the judiciary.
Mercian Parliament House
The Mercian Parliament is the unicameral legislature of Mercia, alongside the ruling Lords. The Mercian Parliament acts as a forceful representation of the Mercian will, both domestically and abroad. The Mercian Parliament is headed by a First Minister, who oversees the body and presents the passed proposals to the Lords of Mercia. The First Minister is a Noble within the Mercian Parliament who is the Party Leader of the largest party in Parliament. In addition, the First Minister has the Mercian Parliament Cabinet that helps him oversee and manage various national and international policies.
Cabinet
| Duke Clémens 14th ministry of Mercia | |
| Incumbent | |
| Date formed | 24 April 2020 |
| People and organizations | |
| Head of government | Duke Henry Clémens |
| Head of state | His Lordship Karl I |
| No. of ministers | 7 |
| Ministers removed (Death/resignation/dismissal) |
0 |
| Total no. of ministers | 8 |
| Status in legislature | Majority |
| History | |
| Legislature term(s) | 24 April 2020 - present |
| Previous | Executor-Viceroy Eden II |
The Mercian Cabinet, led by the First Minister, is the supreme executive authority in Mercia.
- First Minister
- Minister of State
- Minister of Internal Affairs
- Minister of Finance, Commerce and Charity
- Minister of Cultural Affairs
- Minister without Portfolio
- Attorney-General
Judiciary
The judiciary is established under the Judiciary Act 2020. There are two courts: the Supreme Court and the High Court of the Union. Judicial authority is vested in the Lords, who can appoint additional, junior judges. The Lords sit as the Supreme Court - but the Lords can also sit in lower courts, and junior judges may sit in the Supreme Court if required.
The High Court hears all cases in the first instance, except for any case the Lords decide should be taken to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court has exclusive appellate jurisdiction, and also has the power to issue advisory opinions on questions of law.
Mercia is a common law jurisdiction, and so Supreme Court decisions are binding on the High Court. Each court must also take guidance from their previous decisions.
The judiciary is powerful. It can strike down government decisions, or force it to act or refrain from acting in a particular way. It can also strike down laws that come into conflict with the Human Rights Act 2020.
Court procedure is detailed in the Judiciary Act, and is guided by the overriding objective, which sets out basic principles by which the courts must operate.
The judiciary is administered by the Judicial Administration Gorsedh, led by the Chief Registrar.
Parties and elections
- See also: List of political parties of Mercia
Mercia, having a long history of partisan democracy, had in its long history many political parties. Historically, the most significant parties are the National Liberal Party, the left-leaning republican Humanist People's Alliance, the centre-libertarian People's Democratic Party and the far-left environvmental Green-Socialist Party. Currently established parties are the National Liberal Party, Advance! and the Green Party (Mercia).
Law
In Mercia, the Lords are sovereign. All statutes and court decisions are subordinate to the decrees of the Lords.
Sources of law
The Judiciary Act 2020 sets out the sources of law in Mercia.
Human rights
Mercian human rights are detailed in the Human Rights Act 2020, which is modelled after the European Convention on Human Rights.
In Ava Neasa v Minister of Internal Affairs, the Claimant argued that the government's failure to make marriage available to same-sex couples was a violation of the Human Rights Act 2020. The case is pending.
Criminal law
Mercian law treats private criminal prosecutions equally to prosecutions by the Attorney-General, but the Attorney-General may seize private prosecutions at any stage. However, the Attorney-General has no power to end a private prosecution.
Administrative law
The limits of government action are set out in the Judiciary Act 2020. Section 3 prohibits bills of attainder and ex post facto laws, and provides that 'no law, decision or act of a government authority may be arbitrary, capricious, unreasonable, irrational, improper, malicious or disproportionate.' However, these protections are subject to the supreme power of the Lords.
Foreign relations
- See also: Foreign relations of Mercia
Mercia, being a long-lived and professional nation, has diplomatic relations with many prominent MicroWiki community micronations. Diplomatic relations are closest with the former members of the Würtige Empire, namely the Tsardom of Nolland and the Serene Beaconite Republic. Close relations are also held with the empires of Adammia and Austenasia. With the inclusion of Lurk, close relations are also held with several micronations from the Czech community.
Treaties
Organisations
Mercia is a long-time member of the Grand Unified Micronational, joining even before being a fully independent state. Several Mercians occupied prominent positions in the organisation, but very rarely as member of the Mercian delegation. In recent times, Mercian delegation had low attendance of the quorums and resorted to mostly a passive role.
Through the Acts of Union, Mercia inherited Lurk's membership in the Union of Micronations of Central Europe, which Lurk co-founded in 2014. Mercian delegation is active in this organisation, proposing various projects for the members to undertake, and in the past, providing various services, such as payment systems and voting platforms. Lurk was also member-state of the Antarctic Micronational Union, an organisation for micronations with claims in Antarctica. Mercia, due to a lack of contact with the AMU lost the membership, and discussions are now underway whether the state should re-apply or not.
Law enforcement and defence
The Clyran Constabulary Office
The Clyran Constabulary Office (CCO) is the policing body of Mercia. Its frontline officers are also all members of the 1st Legion of the CVT, although the administration are largely non-territorials. The CCO is headed by three Chief Constables and a Deputy Chief Constable that answer directly to the Lord of Clyro and the Mercian Parliament House. The Deputy Chief Constable exists to assist the Chief Constable of Wibertsherne in his or her task, considering the magnitude of policing the eight largest and most important hundreds in Clyro. The Chief Constable of Abroad Presence represents the CCO overseas, and also organises the escort guards for key Clyran officials when they travel to foreign nations.
- Chief Constable of Wibertsherne: Comrade Seaward
- Deputy Chief Constable of Wibertsherne: Baron Whyatt
- Chief Constable of the Capital Hundred: HL Richard I
- Chief Constable of Abroad Presence & Kernollond: Marquis Cassidy
It is worth noting that Resort Hundreds have no Chief Constables, as they are directly controlled by the Lord of Clyro.
The Clyro Defence Office
The military body of Mercia is the Clyro Defence Office, the CDO. The CDO operates as the defence force for the Clyran home-territories. The CDO traditionally used the Prospekh trigramme for its definition when the Office was known as the Clyran Defence Force (Prospekh: Clyro Verdijen Takma / Kлыро Вepдыйeн Taкмa), although all administrative work is nowadays done in English.
The CDO is divided into three Legions, each of which fulfil a different function in the nation.
- 1st Legion: The Local Guardians. This Legion is regarded as the best unit in the CDO, that is ready at a moment's notice. The 1st Legion is dedicated to protecting Clyro's home territories, and assisting the immediate area of the neighbouring United Kingdom.
- 2nd Legion: The National Private Soldiers. The 'Nationals' are made of of non-territorial Clyrans only. The mission of the 2nd Legion is to protect Clyro's interests abroad, as well as serving as the official legion in the Imperial Army of the Würtige Empire.
- 3rd Legion: The Foreign Volunteers. The 3rd Legion is a force made entirely of individuals that do not possess citizenship within Clyro or the Würtige Empire. The duty of the 3rd Legion is to support the 2nd Legion, as well as provide a liaison between the militaries of Clyro, the Würtige Empire and other micronations.
The Clyro Defence Office traditionally used the Prospekhi constructed language in days past, as it is the longest standing constructed language in Clyro's history, and certificates of military service in the 1st Legion have always typically been written in both English and Prospekh, despite the repealing of the language's use in common CDO administration.
Economy
Mercia used the Würtige Mark officially, and they were permitted to create a regional variation of the currency that is of equivalent value to the Mark. However, no regional variation has ever been created. The Archduchy of Loringia also uses the Czech Koruna (CZK) as a currency within its own borders, and in transactions with the Czech Republic, and the digital Corona currency when doing business with the Noble Republic of Lurk or other Czech Micronations. The Region of Clyro, for transactions with the United Kingdom and for neighbouring British Micronations, uses the Great British Pound (GBP). Clyran Sterling was once discussed, but initial drafts of the currency proved visually unappealing and the project was scrapped. The Kingdom of Amon Lasgalen solely uses the Great British Pound although they theoretically adopted the Sorrenian Dollar when they were members of the Sorrenian Federation.
Since Mercia declared independence from the Würtige Empire, several parties have proposed the creation of a Mercian currency and an on-line transaction system.
Culture
Mercia's cultural roots come from a variety of sources, primarily the Kingdoms of England & Scotland before the 1707 Act of Union and the Holy Roman Empire. Prussian traditions from the Würtige Empire has also left marks on Mercian culture. Cultural influences in Mercia have come from a diverse variety of sources, however, from the pre-Roman Druidic culture of the British Isles, to the Austro-Hungarian Empire; from the Tudor period of England to the modern Swiss Confederation.
Despite Mercia being largely Germanic, with a long history of being part of the Germanic Würtige Empire, not to mention exposure to Slavic states through diplomatic collaboration, there is a culturally Celtic minority in power in Clyro, which has dictated the cultural policies of the whole region. The civic institutions that operate in Clyro are known as Gorsedhs, the Cornish word for 'Assemblies'. Even the name Clyro is derived from the Welsh phrase 'clear water'. Clyro also celebrates the Druidic festivals of Lúnastal (1 August) and Tan (6 August), as well as celebrating the Summer and Winter Solstices on the 21st of both June and December respectively. However, the Lúnastal festival was renamed 'Lammas' in the 2014 celebration, to better reflect the growing Christian nature of Clyro. The Lord of Clyro, His Lordship Richard I, has declared his intent to 'Celticise' Clyro many times, and has made steady paces towards achieving this.
The Archduchy of Loringia is heavily inspired by the Holy Roman Empire and the Confederation of Switzerland, although the latter is largely down to the fact that the Noble Republic of Lurk is inspired by Switzerland, and the close relationship between Lurk and Loringia is such that there is much cultural and legal crossover.
The Kingdom of Amon Lasgalen is a bastion of Celtic culture in Mercia, deriving its traditions from Welsh history. Furthermore, Amon Lasgalen has adopted the Elvish language of Sindarin from Tolkien's Middle Earth setting as a national language; the Kingdom's name itself is Sindarin, meaning Hill of Green Leaves. King Llewelyn is a Christian, and was a Bishop of the Mercian Christian Church until his accession to the position of Lord Praetor, a military position that conflicted with the spiritual post.
Despite Christians of various denominations only constituting between a third and half of Mercia's population, the nation is considered to be a Christian one. The Mercian Christian Church is the state organised church that exists within Mercia, and is responsible for the spiritual wellbeing of its Christian citizens. The Church is an Episcopal Baptist establishment, that does not claim Apostolic Succession to its episcopate. However, the largest denomination of Christianity within Mercia is Roman Catholicism. Despite being a Christian nation, Mercia still strongly defends religious liberty and freedom of religious practice, and as such, a tiny Muslim minority practices alongside the more substantial Christian minority in the country, in addition to an equally small Pagan minority. The rest of the country describes itself variously as Atheistic, Humanistic or Agnostic.
The Lord of Clyro is keen to espouse the virtues of Chappism, a movement that revolves around stereotypical British gentlemanliness, Edwardian idealism, and fusing those two with modern pop culture. The Waistcoat Club Service is a group within Clyro that defends the ideals of Clyran Chappism, although the group is largely inactive.
Media
Mercia has a strong media culture, with a history stretching back to 2013, when the Burnham Micropress was founded in the Region of Clyro. Mercian media has a tendency to only cover national issues, or intermicronational issues and events that affect Mercia directly. There is not a reputation for partisan media outlets in Mercia, and all the outlets in Mercia tend to be directly run by the Lords, and as such are known to have a degree of impartiality in their reporting. The exception to this rule was the Mercian Humanist Magazine, which was a paper run by the now defunct Humanist People's Alliance (Party) of Mercia.
The media outlets in Mercia are the following:
- The Burnham Micropress - The first media outlet of the Region of Clyro, back when it was known as the Regional Dominion of Burnham, this outlet first started posting articles in January 2013. The Micropress has always been the premier source of news coming out of Clyro and Mercia, and it has covered, with relative impartiality, domestic events such as the Top-Down Revolution of May 2013 and the May 2015 Mercian General Election, and international events such as elections for the Chair of the Grand Unified Micronational.
- Regal Telecommunications - Regal Telecommunications (RTC) has led the way of producing audio and audiovisual media for Mercia. It was the first media outlet to cover the May 2015 Mercian General Election in full, hosting the May 2015 Mercian Leaders' Debate between the leaders of the National Liberal Party and the Humanist People's Party. Although currently RTC has the monopoly over non-textual media in Mercia, the Humanist People's Party has pledged that should their party form a government in the May 2015 Mercian General Election, a Youtube channel to be run by the incumbent Mercian government will be created. This potential competition could unseat RTC dominance in the Mercian information media industry.
- The Commonwealth Gazette - Run by the same producers of the Burnham Micropress, the Commonwealth Gazette is not actually a domestic paper. Instead, the Gazette fulfills the role of party political newspaper for the Sorrenian Commonwealth Party, a monarchist organisation operating within the Sorrenian Federation. This outsourcing of partisan media has previously led to accusations that the Commonwealth Party is just representing Mercian interests overseas, accusations which have been refuted by both the Commonwealth Party and the Commonwealth Gazette's journalists.
Mercia is also covered in large part by the Amerston Post.
Infrastructure
Mercia is an infrastructurally diverse society, with its regions connected by macronational air, rail and road lines, and each region itself being connected to it's Counties and Parishes through roadways and footpaths. The Region of Clyro also administrates post going through all Mercian and non-Mercian contacts of the triarchy in the UK.
Roadway Systems
Clyro
Mercia's transport networks primarily are focused in the Region of Clyro, specifically in the Province of Wibertsherne, where the Cassidishire's two Hundreds, Declan Forest and the Low Wold, are connected by the Woolfe-Maine Roadway System.
The Woolfe Roadway Circle is the largest element of the Woolfe-Maine Roadway System, stretching over two thirds of Declan Forest Parish. The Woolfe Roadway Circle then connects to Declan Bridge, which in turn connects to the Woolfe-Border Roadway; and the Maine Junction, which then connects to the Woolfe-Maine Roadway. The Woolfe-Maine Roadway System is mostly used by cyclists, walkers and joggers from the Region of Clyro and the United Kingdom, although the Woolfe Roadway Circle is also the primary venue for all Clyran track and cycling sporting events.
Loringia
Loringia has a variety of roads, ranging from small dirt paths, to dirt roads and finally asphalt or concrete paved roads. In total, the total length of all the roads added up is over 6 km, of which 1.97 km is paved. Loringia's roads are classified according to Lurkish laws and standards and co-managed by Lurkish roadway personnel, because of the condominium shared by those two Micronations. It is a Lurkish custom to name each road, including motorways. Since the founding of the CSO Lurkish road signs include the CSO road numbers as well.
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