Jump to content

Bloenland: Difference between revisions

From OpenGeofiction
No edit summary
No edit summary
 
(28 intermediate revisions by 4 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{Infocard
{{Infocard
| name = Kingdom of Great Blönland
| name = Kingdom of Great Blönland
| flag = Bloenlandflag.JPG
| flag = Bloenland_flag.png
| symbol =  
| symbol =Bloenland_coatofarms.svg
| symbol_caption =
| symbol_caption =Coat of Arms
| native_name = Königreich Groß-Blönland
| native_name = Königreich Groß-Blönland
| native_language = Blönnish Kalmish
| native_language = Blönnish Kalmish
Line 15: Line 15:
| zoom = 7
| zoom = 7
| relation = 122387
| relation = 122387
| intro = '''Blönland''', formally the '''Kingdom of Great Blönland''' (''Königreich Groß-Blönland'') is a country in [[East Uletha]]. It borders [[Remsfalen]] to the west, [[UL31c]] and [[Izaland]] to the south and [[Saikyel]] to the east, as well as the [SEANAME] to the north. It covers an area of xxx square kilometers and has a population of over xx.x million, resulting in a population density of xxx per square kilometer. It is one of the easternmost culturally and linguistically Kalmish countries. The capital and largest city is Burgenau, located in the south, closely followed by Collenburg near the northern coast. Other major cities are the twin cities Dietfeld and Neustadt an der Lubbe, Papenau, Neustadt auf der Höhe, Daxau and Kronenburg.
| intro = '''Blönland''', formally the '''Kingdom of Great Blönland''' (''Königreich Groß-Blönland'') is a country in [[East Uletha]]. It borders [[Remsfalen]] to the west, [[Pyeokchin]] and [[Izaland]] to the south and the [[Sanain Republic]] to the east, as well as the Darcodian Sea to the north. It covers an area of 43390.86 km² and has a population of 17.355.500 (2020 census), resulting in a population density of 399,98 inhabitants per square kilometer. It is one of the easternmost culturally and linguistically Kalmish countries. The capital and largest single city is Burgenau, located in the south, though the metropolitan area of Collenburg, on the northern coast, is larger. Other major cities are: Brüxhaven, Daxau, Neustadt auf der Höhe, Dietfeld, Kronenburg, Freudenthal and Pülckau.


A constitutional monarchy ruled by a King, Prime Minister and bicameral parliament, Blönland consists of two Constituent Countries (Länder) - the Kingdom of Blönland proper (Königreich Blönland), with the capital Burgenau and the Grand Duchy of Remsfalen-Lüningen (Großherzogtum Remsfalen-Lüningen), with the capital Collenburg. Historically distinct entities that were gradually unified after they came under a personal union, both have retained large degrees of autonomy and are culturally distinct, speaking different dialects. While Blönland is primarily Catholic, Remsfalen-Lüningen is mostly Protestant, except for areas in its south and east. The forested Central Mountains separate Blönland proper from largely flat Remsfalen-Lüningen, while the southern border is formed by the [MOUNTAINRANGENAME].}}
A constitutional monarchy ruled by a King, Prime Minister and bicameral parliament, Blönland consists of two Constituent Countries (Länder) - the Kingdom of Blönland proper (Königreich Blönland), with the capital Burgenau and the Grand Duchy of Remsfalen-Lüningen (Großherzogtum Remsfalen-Lüningen), with the capital Collenburg. Historically distinct entities that were gradually unified after they came under a personal union, both have retained large degrees of autonomy and are culturally distinct, speaking different dialects. While Blönland is primarily Catholic, Remsfalen-Lüningen is mostly Protestant, except for areas in its south and east. The forested Central Mountains separate Blönland proper from largely flat Remsfalen-Lüningen, while the southern border is formed by the MOUNTAINRANGENAME.}}
 
== Overview ==
Blönland as a consolidated entity came into existence in 1844, when King Friedrich-Alexander II of Blönland inherited, in accordance with the 1733 Treaty of Collenburg, the Grand Duchy of Remsfalen-Lüningen that had split off from Remsfalen in 1678 from his distant cousin, Grand Duke Otto V, prompting the Remsfalian invasion of Remsfalen-Lüningen and Blönland, also called the Six Months' War. The Treaty of Weisburg ended the war, stipulating that Remsfalen-Lüningen would maintain its independence and be ruled by the King of Blönland in a personal union but would form a customs union with Remsfalen and surrender part of its tax income. In a time of political instability in Remsfalen, King Friedrich-Alexander II's successor Georg I began taking measures to change the status quo as he feared that Remsfalen would claim the Grand Duchy again, which resulted in the Crisis of 1862 that almost ended in a second war between Blönland and Remsfalen.
 
On May 10th, 1863, the Second Treaty of Collenburg was signed, in which Remsfalen consented to a real union between Blönland and Remsfalen-Lüningen in exchange for receiving the territory of Gamsland. Three days later, on May 13th, the parliaments of Blönland and Remsfalen-Lüningen passed an Act of Union, which resulted in the formation of the Kingdom of Blönland-Remsfalen-Lüningen and created the borders known today. On May 17th, King Georg I was crowned Grand Duke of Remsfalen-Lüningen. The date is celebrated as the National Holiday since 1899.
 
Political integration of the two Blönnish regions lasted well into the 20th century and is often still considered incomplete. The Kingdom of Blönland proper and the Grand Duchy retained their own armies until the Great War forced a modernization of the armed forces in 1932, as well as their own parliamentary lower houses and governments until 1952. During the Great War, Blönland remained officially neutral but provided aid to [SIDE]. It became a haven for war refugees from other Kalmish countries and for businesses who did not want to wait until reconstruction in war-struck regions was complete, which benefitted the rural areas greatly and finalized the formation of the Collenburg Metropolitan Area, the country's largest.
 
On January 1st, 1952, the Great Reform Act came into effect, unifying the legislatives of Blönland and Remsfalen-Lüningen and giving the country its current name. It implemented many economical, legal and social reforms that helped Blönland to adapt to the postwar world, significantly deregulating the economy and allowing the Kingdom to become a hub for modern technologies without alienating the traditional industries like mining in the south and fishing in the north.
 
Blönland is notable for its space program, high-quality transportation network and is touristically important, hosting more than 63 million visitors per year. Its largest exports are automotive and aerospace parts, coal and semiconductors. Agriculture is centered around dairy production on the coastal plains and in the mountains as well as wine and fruit in the rolling hills of the central regions.
 
The Blönnish people remain culturally and socially conservative, especially in the south. Religion is a major part of life, and 88,5% of all citizens according to the Census of 2022 claim membership in one of the country's two major churches. The King has significant powers unusual for other constitutional monarchies, and the nobility retains legal privileges, not only dominating the upper house of Parliament but also owning more than half of the land.
 
== Etymology ==
[[File:Hochstauden1.jpg|thumb|Flowers in a heath near Hartmannsdorf, Alt-Blönland]]
Blönland originally referred only to the plains northwest of Burgenau, where the Counts of Pyhritz, ancestors of the present Royal House, established themselves in the 12th and 13th centuries. It was first attested as "bluoend lant" in the writings of monk Saint Aribert of Burgenau in 945, which means "flowering land" or "blooming land" and refers to the fertility and aesthetically pleasing landscape of the plains. Over time, it was corrupted to "Blüendland" and eventually to "Blönland".
 
The origin of the name is reflected in the words of the national anthem, the Blönlandlied, written by famous nationalist poet Franz Adam Sauthner in 1832: ''Blühe, blühe Blönland'', which means "Bloom, bloom, Blönland".
 
Until 1952, the official name of the country was "Kingdom of Blönland-Remsfalen-Lüningen" in reference to the real union between the Kingdom of Blönland and the Grand Duchy of Remsfalen-Lüningen. The Great Reform Act renamed the state to "Kingdom of Great Blönland", a provision proposed by Blönnish nationalist Prime Minister Count (later Prince) Harald von Neuenhaus in the last minute to "remove feudal connotations" and heavily criticized, to this day, in Remsfalen-Lüningen.
 
The plains northwest of Burgenau are today referred to as "Alt-Blönland" (Old Blönland).
 
== Geography ==
 
== Climate ==
{{Infobox admin div
| name = Kingdom of Great Blönland
| first-level = 2 Länder (Constituent Countries)
| second-level = 8 Bezirke (Districts) in Blönland proper and 4 Landbezirke (Districts) and 2 Harden (Hundreds) in Remsfalen-Lüningen (14 in total)
| third-level = 57 Kreise (Counties)
| fourth-level = 445 Gemeinden (Communes)
}}
 
== Government ==
{{Infobox government
{{Infobox government
| name = Kingdom of Great Blönland
| name = Blönland
| government_type = Federal constitutional parliamentary monarchy
| government_type = Federal, constitutional, parliamentary, hereditary monarchy
| capital = Burgenau
| capital = [[Burgenau]]
| title1 = King
| title1 = King of Blönland
| hos1 = Friedrich-Alexander III
| hos1 = Georg III
| title2 = Prime Minister
| title2 = Prime Minister
| hos2 = Karl Adalbert Ritter von Müller
| hos2 = Karl-Heinz von Wittig
| title3 = Deputy Prime Minister
| legislature = United Diet
| hos3 = Dr. Claus Adam von Glückuhn
| upper_house = House of Lords
| legislature = Vereinigter Landtag (United Parliament)
| upper_house_diagram = Bloenland upper house 2024.svg
| upper_house = Herrenhaus (House of Lords)
| lower_house = House of Deputies
| upper_house_diagram =  
| lower_house_diagram = Bloenland lower house 2024.svg
| lower_house = Abgeordnetenhaus (House of Representatives)
| judiciary = Constitutional Court
| lower_house_diagram =  
| political_parties = {{legend|#0400E5|VP}} {{legend|#EBEF00|PNE}} {{legend|#000000|CDP}} {{legend|#044E00|BB}} {{legend|#DA970D|ND}} {{legend|#77007A|KU}} {{legend|#72D2E7|PdM}} {{legend|#F40000|SAP}} {{legend|#B96FFF|LP}} {{legend|#7A3627|PSP}} {{legend|#AF5151|SDPR}} {{legend|#2DE89A|LLL}} {{legend|#848484|Independents}}
| judiciary = Königlicher Oberster Gerichtshof (Royal High Court)
| international_orgs = Assembly of Nations, EUOIA (observer)
| custom_label1 =  
}}{{Infobox admin div
| custom1 =  
| name = Blönland
| custom_label2 =  
| first-level = Constituent Countries
| custom2 =  
| second-level = Districts
| political_parties =  
| third-level = Counties
| international_orgs =  
| fourth-level = Municipality
| div_type = Constituent Countries
| div1 = Remsfalen-Lüningen
| div2 = Blönland proper
| div1_pop = 10.534.700
| div2_pop = 6.820.800
}}{{Infobox demography
| name = Blönland
| demonym = Blönish
| official_languages = Kalmish
| minority_languages = Sanain
| ethnicity_bars = {{bar percent|Kalmish|blue|95.2}} {{bar percent|Sanain|red|2.3}} {{bar percent|Blönish Highlander|darkblue|0.4}} {{bar percent|Izaki|yellow|0.2}} {{bar percent|Other|grey|1.9}}
| religion_bars = {{bar percent|Ortholic|red|43.1}} {{bar percent|United Remsfalian Church|blue|32.8}} {{bar percent|Evangelist|pink|7.3}} {{bar percent|Atheist / No Religion|darkgrey|5.2}} {{bar percent|United Reformed Church|orange|4.2}} {{bar percent|Old Ortholic|purple|3.3}} {{bar percent|Minionite|lime|2.1}} {{bar percent|Other|grey|2.0}}
| literacy = {{increase}}99.9
| life_expectancy = {{increase}}78.3
| birth_rate = {{decrease}}16.7
| death_rate = {{decrease}}11.3
}}
}}
== Geography==


=== King and Royal Family ===
===Administrative Divisions===
''[[Administrative Divisions of Bloenland|Main article: Administrative Divisions of Blönland]]''


<gallery>
Blönland consists of two Constituent Countries (Länder) - Blönland proper, forming roughly the southern half of the country, and Remsfalen-Lüningen in the north. Each Constituent Country consists of Districs (Bezirke), which in turn are split into Counties (Landkreise), with the exception of Burgenau, the Collenburg Metropolitan Region and the Principality of Campenau that double as a District and a County. A major municipal reform between 1958 and 1960 removed many, but not all historical anomalies and exclaves. The current administrative division dates to 2007, when several municipalities were merged into the city of Collenburg to form the Metropolitan Region.
Charles_Wellesley,_9th_Duke_of_Wellington.jpg|King Friedrich-Alexander III
Marie_Kinsky_von_Wchinitz_und_Tettau_(cropped).jpg|Queen Olga, Princess of Remsfalen
</gallery>


Blönland is, according to its constitution, a constitutional hereditary monarchy. The King wields significantly more power than most other constitutional monarchs, being able to veto laws, dissolve parliament and dismiss ministers at will. Until 2015, he could propose any law to the House of Lords directly, skipping the House of Deputies, something that last happened in 1963. Now, it is only possible in fields concerning the Royal Family directly, such as royal estates. The King and members of the Royal Family are exempt from income tax and from import duties for goods intended to be used personally.
===Cities===
''[[Burgenau|Main article: Burgenau]]''


The Royal Family descends in the agnatic line from Count Aribert of Pyhritz (1227-1274), who, after breaking free from Remsfalian vassalage, established the Principality of Blönland in 1261. The head of the comital house von Pyhritz-Sandkirchen, a collateral branch, was authorized to use the title "Prince in Blönland and of Pyhritz-Sandkirchen" (Fürst in Blönland und von Pyhritz-Sandkirchen) with the style "Serene Highness" in 1927 personally, and the concession made hereditary by male primogeniture in 1940. The current head of this branch is Bernhard, the 5th Prince in Blönland and of Pyhritz-Sandkirchen. He is not a member of the Royal Family, even though he is to inherit the throne if it goes extinct in the male line. He is married to Olga Katharina, a princess from the main line.
===Gallery===
==== Current and former members of the Royal Family ====
<gallery widths="200" heights="200">
File:Wien 01 Dr.-Karl-Renner-Ring b.jpg|The Ring in Burgenau, with the Royal Museum of Fine Arts
File:Alpenvorland mit grünten.jpg|Between Daxau and Welskirchen
File:Spreewald bei Schlepzig (3).jpg|Near Kronenburg
File:Lüneburger Heide DSC 5325.jpg|In the Lüningen Heath
File:Bautzen Altstadt 57.jpg|Pülckau, capital of the Lessgau region
File:Almsee1.jpg|Lake Schöpfsee
File:View from Rauschenberg Fulda 2019-07-14 34.jpg|Lohgau landscape
File:Hallertau hopfenernte.JPG|Hops harvest
File:Hamburg, Hafen, Poller -- 2016 -- 3093.jpg|Seaport of Collenburg
File:Blick von Frauenwald - Rennsteig über den Thüringer Wald - panoramio.jpg|The Steinwald near Lichtenberg
File:Wachau vom Gochelberg 20220519 02.jpg|Bodau valley between Burgenau and Dietfeld
File:Ostercappeln - Landschaft - Meyer zu Venne 01.jpg|Agriculture in Remsfalen-Lüningen
File:Schwaighof Landschaft 14 08 2013.jpg|Long, mild valleys in the Unterland region
File:Valley of Großer Weißenbach in world heritage site Kalkalpen - Wilder Graben 2022-08-05 82.jpg|Silver Mountains
File:13-09-29-nordfriesisches-wattenmeer-RalfR-19.jpg|Transition between land and sea at the northern coast
</gallery>


The Royal Family of Blönland consists of all patrilineal, legitimate descendants of King Friedrich-Alexander I (1773-1850), and the women marrying into the family. Princes who enter a marriage without permission from the King are excluded from the order of succession and their children are not members of the Royal Family. Children and grandchildren of the King and of the Crown Prince are styled "Royal Highness", all other members of the Royal Family are styled "Highness".
== History==


The order of succession is strictly agnatic, meaning that women are excluded and nobody may claim through a woman. This is frequently criticized, however the conservative Parliament rejeceted a motion to implement absolute primogeniture in 2018. The King has stated that he does not wish to change the order of succession or allow children of Princesses to be members of the Royal Family as it is "contrary to tradition".
===Prehistory===


In the past, Princesses by birth would lose their title and leave the Royal Family upon marriage. In 1998, a law was passed that allows Princesses to retain their title for their lifetime, however, it only affects Princesses born after the law came into effect.
Blönland's prehistory stretches back over 50.000 years. Situated at the crossroads of East Uletha, the land that would eventually become Blönland was settled by early humans in the late Paleolithic period. While the precise movements of early settlers are still debated, it is widely accepted that humans arrived in the region by around 50.000 BC, likely as part of the broader wave of human migration across the continent. A nomadic culture likely existed for some time, brought to an end when the mammoth-rich cold steppes of the country's northern half turned into dense forests by the end of the Ice Age.


Until recently, Princes and Princesses were expected to marry Catholics belonging to higher nobility, and marriages to commoners and untitled nobles were considered morganatic. The marriage of Prince Wilhelm, the brother of the King, to commoner Henriette Ruedt was considered scandalous in 1981. Wives and children of morganatic marriages typically receive the title "Count/Countess of Burgenau". In 2005, the King decided to retroactively approve the marriage of Prince Wilhelm and, by royal decree, made his wife Countess Henriette von Burgenau, and their daughter Olga Princesses.
Archaeological findings suggest that by 10.000 BC, Blönland had become home to some of the region’s earliest known settlements. Two major prehistoric sites - one near the town of Andrämünster and another at Friedrichsthal near Dietfeld - provide evidence of the area’s earliest inhabitants. The material culture at these sites includes tools, pottery fragments, and signs of early habitation. These sites are notable for their association with hunter-gatherer societies, indicating that the first settlers of Blönland were part of the wider East Ulethan cultural milieu.


===== Notable current members =====
In the centuries that followed, the archaeological record shows a shift toward more permanent settlement patterns, with growing evidence of proto-agricultural activity, animal domestication, and the gradual development of social structures that laid the foundation for future Blönland’s complex societies.


* HM King Friedrich-Alexander III (*1945)
As the region continued to develop, proto-Sanain tribes began to emerge, setting the stage for the later ethnogenesis of the Sanain people. These tribes were one of the primary cultural groups in Blönland and are believed to have originated in the northeastern parts of the country, north of the Silver Mountains, in modern-day Lessgau. The Sanain peoples were deeply connected to their environment, practicing a mix of hunting, gathering, and early forms of agriculture. Their religion was largely shamanistic, with spiritual leaders acting as intermediaries between the natural world and the supernatural realm. There is evidence that some tribes practiced human sacrifice and considered the glaciers of MOUNTAINRANGENAME sacred, killing children that would be mummified in shrines constructed from stones and rubble found near glaciers.
* HM Queen Olga, Princess of Remsfalen (*1952), married then-Crown Prince Friedrich Alexander in 1973
* HRH Crown Prince Georg (*1974), current heir to the throne
* HRH Crown Princess Leopoldine (*1977), née Princess von Behrenstein-Steinkirchen, married Crown Prince Georg in 1999
* HRH Prince Michael (*1975), entrepreneur and philanthropist
* HRH Princess Adelaide (*1980), née Countess von Stöckelen, married Prince Michael in 2008
* HRH Prince Wilhelm (*1947), General (Blönnish Army), brother of the King
* HRH Princess Henriette (*1955), née Ruedt, married Prince Wilhelm in 1981 morganatically, held the title Countess von Burgenau until 2005 before being upgraded to Princess
* HRH Prince Friedrich-Alexander (*2000), son of Crown Prince Georg, second in line to the throne
* HRH Princess Amalie (*2001), daughter of Crown Prince Georg
* HRH Princess Olga (*2003), daughter of Crown Prince Georg
* HRH Princess Olga (*1983), daughter of Prince Wilhelm, held the title Countess von Burgenau until 2005 before being upgraded to Princess
* HRH Prince Carl (*1957), entrepreneur and philantropist, cousin of the King
* HH Prince Georg-Eduard (*2007), son of Prince Carl and then-Princess Arabella (*1980)
* HRH Prince Paul Dietrich (*1968), molecular geneticist and professor at the Albert Schneider Institute for Molecular Genetics at the University of Burgenau, cousin of the King
* HH Prince Friedrich (*2009), son of Prince Paul Dietrich
* HRH Princess Pauline (*1972), Mrs. von Glückuhn, wife of Martin von Glückuhn, brother of the current Deputy Prime Minister, first Princess to retain her title after marriage (cousin of the King and sister of Prince Paul Dietrich)
* HRH Princess Olga Katharina (*1974), Princess in Blönland and of Pyhritz-Sandkirchen, wife of HSH Prince (Fürst) Bernhard, 5th Prince in Blönland and of Pyhritz-Sandkirchen (*1962), current Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Environmental Protection


===== Former members =====
In contrast, the southern parts of Blönland, especially the fertile Burgenau Basin and the Weid Valley, were more influenced by external forces. Archaeological evidence suggests the presence of Proto-Izaki and Pyeokchin warrior-aristocrats in these areas. These populations likely arrived during multiple invasions, starting around 5000 BC, bringing with them new social structures, religious practices, and cultural traditions. Over time, the southern part of Blönland became a hybrid society where the Sanain substrate persisted in the lower classes, while the ruling elite adopted Proto-Northern Izaki religion, language, and social organization. It is debated whether the Sanain population was reduced to a state of serfdom or actual slavery. As in northwestern Izaland, "seers" - wise men but also some women - were exchanged between the polities frequently.


* Countess Anna Katharina von Neuenhaus (*1942), née Princess of Blönland, married Count Casimir von Neuenhaus in 1985 (sister of the King)
By the 1st millennium BC, the southern regions of Blönland began to experience proto-urbanization. Small city-states, formed by Izaki and Pyeokchin nobles, emerged along the Bodau River and in the fertile southwestern parts of the country. This urbanization was centered on trade and agriculture, and it laid the groundwork for a more structured and hierarchical society. The Rindokareri system, imported from Izaland, was a key feature of these early city-states.
* Baroness Marie Victoria von Schneyder (*1943), née Princess of Blönland, married Admiral Albrecht von Schneyder in 1989 (sister of the King)
* Maria Siebenhammer (*1947), née Princess of Blönland, married photographer Martin Siebenhammer in 1978 (sister of the King), her daughter Olga von Gnädig (*1984) is a former model and actress and married to shipbuilder Herbert-Wilhelm von Gnädig (*1963), who was ennobled in 2022.
* Baroness Theresia von Müller (*1972), née Princess of Blönland, married industrialist Alfred von Müller, brother of the current Prime Minister, in 1998 (daughter of the King)
* Helene Hidgpatrick (*1978), née Princess of Blönland, married Ingerish industrialist John Hidgpatrick in 2001 (daughter of the King)
* Arabella Diedrichsen (*1980), née von Purgstall-Pumpenrode, married Prince Carl in 2005, divorced in 2019, married opera singer Walther Diedrichsen in 2021
So far, all commoners who married Princesses by blood of Blönland have been ennobled, except for Martin Siebenhammer (who declined the title of Baron) and John Hidgpatrick (who didn't get permission from the Ingerish government to be ennobled). It has been stated that if Princesses Amalie and Olga choose to marry commoners, they will be ennobled unless they explicitly opt out.


=== Parliament ===
The Bodau River, which runs through the heart of southwestern Blönland, became a major commercial hub. Evidence suggests that the river was a key trading route linking the Izaki lands to the Darcodian Sea. Traders from northern Izaland used the Steinberg Pass as a crossing point, bringing goods such as textiles, pottery, and metal tools into Blönland. These merchants would travel downstream on riverboats, passing through a series of fishing and trade settlements in the Bodau delta area, near modern-day Collenburg, before venturing further into the Darcodian Sea.
The Vereinigter Landtag (United Diet) is the bicameral parliament of the Kingdom of Great Blönland. Until its creation in 1952, the Kingdom of Blönland and the Grand Duchy of Remsfalen-Lüningen had their own separate lower houses (Landtage) but shared an upper house. It has its seat in the twin Palaces of Parliament (Landtagspaläste) at the Platz des Vereinigten Landtages (United Diet Square) in Burgenau.
[[File:Die Gartenlaube (1889) b 813.jpg|thumb|Platz des Vereinigten Landtages, Burgenau in 1876]]


==== House of Lords ====
By 700 BC, agriculture had spread throughout the southern Blönland and the Bodau glacial valley, brought by Izaki settlers. However, the climate in Blönland proved to be inhospitable for the cultivation of rice. Archaeological findings suggest several failed attempts to grow rice in the south, indicating the challenge of adapting southern farming techniques to the cooler environment. As a result, Blönland’s agricultural focus shifted to cereals, fruits, and hardier crops better suited to the local climate. The fertile Bodau glacial valley, north of Dietfeld, became a key area for the expansion of agriculture, particularly wheat and rye.
The upper house of the United Diet is the Herrenhaus (House of Lords), sometimes colloquially referred to as "Senate". It scrutinizes laws that have been approved by the House of Deputies and presents them to the King for signature. Members of the House of Lords may propose laws to the House of Deputies themselves. It was established in its current form in 1863 when the personal union between Blönland and Remsfalen-Lüningen became a real union.


===== Composition =====
There is evidence of the early development of alcoholic beverages. Pottery from the upper Bodau valley has been found, with evidence of its use for brewing and storing alcoholic drinks. The first vineyards in Blönland appeared around Lake Sayn and in the upper Bodau valley. It is likely that Blönish wine was a major trade good and transported as far as [[Alved|Älved]].


The House of Lords consists of currently 114 Pairs (Peers) who must legally be members of the hereditary nobility and, unless they belong to the Royal Family or have a hereditary seat, older than 35. All Princes of the Royal Family who are entitled to the style "Royal Highness" have the right to be inducted into the House of Lords upon reaching the age of 21. Right now, there are 28 eligible Princes, but only 14 are members of the House of Lords. There are 28 hereditary seats, which are inherited by male primogeniture, of which 17 are currently occupied, 4 are vacant because the entitled holder is under the age of 21 and 7 have holders who have not chosen to be inducted into the House of Lords yet, one of which, Prince Ludwig von Schützendorff, is currently a member of the House of Deputies. It has become extremely uncommon for new hereditary to be created as there can legally be no more than 30 at a time since 1952. The last new one was given to Prince Rupprecht von Eitelstedt-Sackenburg in 2008, who is married to the eldest daughter of Aribert, the last Prince von Sackenburg. Her father had a hereditary seat himself and petitioned for the King to give it to his son-in-law upon his death. Before that, the last new hereditary seat was given to Count Harald von Neuenhaus upon his retirement as Prime Minister in 1960 together with the title of Prince.


Along with the royal and hereditary seats, the King can appoint noble citizens to the House of Lords for life. Currently, there are 83 Life Peers (Pairs auf Lebenszeit), mostly retired politicians, officers and distinguished citizens.
===Kalmish colonization and Christianization===


As any member of the House of Lords must be noble, seats are granted to non-nobles only together with hereditary nobility (or personal nobility for women). Of the 83 Life Peers, 45 were not born noble.
=== Margraviate of Burgenau===


Out of the 114 Peers, only 18 are women, and no hereditary seat can be occupied by a woman.
=== Establishment of the Kingdom and expansion===


==== House of Representatives ====
===Lüningish Wars and Unification Era ===
The Abgeordnetenhaus (House of Representatives) is the elected lower house of the United Diet. It is here that most new laws are proposed and parliamentary debate takes place.


===== Composition =====
===Great Ulethan War===
The House of Representatives consists of 337 Abgeordnete (Representatives) who are elected in the General Election every 4 years with no term limits by and among all citizens of Blönland who are over 21 years old.


There are two types of Representatives:
===Late 20th Century===
* 167 Wahlkreisabgeordnete (Electoral District Representatives), who are elected by the 167 Electoral Districts through a first-past-the-post system
* 170 Listenabgeordnete (List Representatives), who are elected proportionally from party lists within Blönland proper and Remsfalen-Lüningen. The seats are regularly divided between Blönland and Remsfalen-Lüningen by the Royal Electoral Commission according to their populations after every Census, which usually occurs in the middle of the electoral term. 100.000 persons equal one seat. In accordance with the 2020 census, there are currently 170 list seats, of which 76 belong to Blönland proper and 94 belong to Remsfalen-Lüningen.


2022 is the first year in which the number of List Representatives surpassed the number of List Representatives.
====Postwar Recovery ====


Until 2006, seats that fell vacant due to death or resignation were filled from the list even if they were electoral district seats. Since then, electoral district seats that fall vacant are filled in a by-election if more than 12 months remain until the next General Election.
====Mountain War====


To pass a motion, the group of representatives belonging to each of the two constituent countries must vote in favor with absolute majority. However, a 2/3 majority in the House of Lords can break this so-called "group veto", to prevent deadlocks resulting from conflicts between Blönland proper and Remsfalen-Lüningen.
====Arctic War Intervention====


==== Parties and ruling coalitions ====
====1976 Nuclear Test Scandal====


The percentage of votes required to get a List Seat is defined as 200% divided by the number of list seats, or the double of 100% divided by the number of list seats, which is currently 200%/170 = 1.176%. This threshold is lower than in most other countries, meaning that smaller parties have a higher chance to enter parliament.
====Christian-Social Coalition====


Blönnish politics are highly divisive, with most widespread ideologies being represented by more than one party, mostly due to historical reasons. Before 1952, most parties were practically restricted to either Blönland proper or Remsfalen-Lüningen, a notable exception being the Liberal-Democratic Party. The center-right camp is dominated by the Christian Democratic Party in Remsfalen-Lüningen and split between the CDP, the Blönnish Peoples' Party (Blönnische Volkspartei) and the Farmers' Party in Blönland proper. The latter two parties did not nominate candidates in Remsfalen-Lüningen until the late 1990s. The Social Democratic Party is is the product of the 1928 merger between the Blönnish Socialist Party and the Social Democratic Party of Remsfalen-Lüningen.
====Steinhäusel Scandal ====


No coalition since 1964 had less than three parties.
====1999 Christmas Agreement====


=== Cabinet ===
===21st Century===
[[File:Schwerin am 25.2.2018 75.jpg|thumb|Schloss Bührenfeld in Burgenau, the residence of the Prime Minister]]
The Prime Minister (Premierminister) is the head of government. He is appointed by the King, usually when a new government is forms after every General Election, and he is usually (but not always) the head of the largest party in the coalition. It is common for larger parties to offer the post of Prime Minister to the leader of a smaller party they wish to enter a coalition with. The cabinet of Blönland is usually large. It consists of the Prime Minister and the ministers appointed by the King on his recommendation, one of which becomes the Deputy Prime Minister, Special Ministers appointed temporarily or for unusual, newly-created ministries, Ministers without Portfolio and Ministers by Right, governmental and religious officials who are automatically members of cabinet by law.


==== Composition of the current Müller II cabinet ====
==Government==
''[[Government of Bloenland|Main article: Government of Blönland]]''


Karl Adalbert Ritter von Müller (*1958) is the second son of industrialist Manfred Ignatius Ritter von Müller (born Manfred Ignatius Müller in 1934), who was ennobled in 1971 and is currently the CEO of Müller-Stahl AG. Unlike his elder brother, he did not enter the family business but instead pursued a military career. As the leader of the conservative Christian Democratic Party, he was appointed Prime Minister in 2018 after successfully negotiating a coalition with the Liberal Democratic Party and right-wing populist National Conservative Party. The coalition could be maintained after the May 2022 elections by admitting the monarchist Fatherland Movement, resulting in Müller's second tenure as Prime Minister, which is to last until the next ordinary election in 2026.
[[File:King Georg III of Blönland.PNG|left|thumb|420x420px|'''Georg III, King of Blönland and Grand Duke of Remsfalen-Lüningen''']]
[[File:Karl-Heinz von Wittig.PNG|thumb|420x420px|'''Dr. Karl-Heinz von Wittig, Prime Minister of Blönland''']]
Blönland is a '''Federal, constitutional, parliamentary, hereditary monarchy'''. The current constitution, in force since 1926 with minor changes, provides for governmental authority to be exercised jointly by the King and the Prime Minister (Ministerpräsident), with a separation of powers between the executive government, the legislative (the United Diet) and the judicative (headed by the Constitutional Court).


The Müller II cabinet is notable for being unusually diverse (for Blönland), including less noble-born members than past Cabinets (of the nobles in Cabinet, several have been ennobled during their lifetimes), five women and one ethnically Izalandic man who is also the first person under the age of 30 to be appointed a minister in Blönland. Still, most Ministers are men above the age of 45 and considered either part of the traditional Blönnish upper class or successful businessmen.
The Crown is hereditary in the House of Blönland, a branch of the von Burgenau family, passing from father to eldest son. Women, descendants of princesses who have married out of the family and children from illegitimate or unapproved unions may not ascend to the throne. Members of the Royal Family are only allowed to marry other royals or members of the higher nobility.


Usually, most Ordinary Ministers have deputies who are members of Parliament. Special Ministers and Ministers without Portfolio usually have no deputies.
The current King is '''Georg III''', crowned after the death of his predecessor Friedrich-Alexander III in early 2024. The Blönish royal house is closely related to that of Remsfalen, the King's mother Queen Dowager Olga being a Princess of Remsfalen and a sister of the current Remsfalian monarch.


===== Premier and Vice-Premier =====
The King of Blönland retaints significant powers and exercises them frequently. This makes Blönland different from most modern constitutional monarchies, where the head of state is limited to ceremonial functions. Most democracy watchdogs consider Blönland a mixed regime due to the high influence of the monarchy and an electoral system and upper house that favor conservative elements. Many decisions are made behind the scenes in what is euphemistically described as a system of "consensus-based governance", controlled by several overlapping aristocratic patronage networks all directly or indirectly subservient to the Royal House, big business and major landowners.
<gallery>
Official_portrait_of_Guy_Mansfield,_6th_Baron_Sandhurst_crop_2.jpg|'''Karl Adalbert Ritter von Müller'''<br>Prime Minister
Lordashtonofhyde.jpg|'''Dr. Claus Adam von Glückuhn'''<br>Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs
</gallery>


===== Ordinary Ministers =====
The King names a Prime Minister (Ministerpräsident), by convention after each general election, and appoints ministers proposed by the PM. The current Prime Minister is '''Karl-Heinz von Wittig''', who is considered a close friend of King Georg III.
<gallery>
File:Gustav Hägglund.jpg|Major General<br>'''Kai Ritter von Brenkenmeier'''<br>Minister of Defence
File:Herbert Diess 2.JPG|'''Dr. Horst von Oberbauer'''<br>Minister of Finances
File:Burkhard Göschel 2012.JPG|'''Prof. Dr. Paul Anselm Weidner-Türschnig'''<br>Minister of the Economy, Business, Investment and Sustainable Development
File:2018-05-10 Hermann Otto Solms-7546.jpg|'''Count Magnus von Neuhaus-Tiefenbrunn'''<br>Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs
File:Philipp Rösler 2012.jpg|'''Wilhelm Oberlaender-Sakamura''', MBA<br>Minister of Infrastructure and Transportation
File:JochenWinand.JPG|'''Alexander von Bergmann'''<br>Minister of Technology and Digitalization
File:Johannes ludewig ubb verlaengerung ahlbeck grenze (cropped).jpg|'''Paul Claus Straelmann'''<br>Minister of Energy
File:Albrecht Fürst zu Castell-Castell.jpg|'''Prince Bernhard, 5th Prince in Blönland and of Pyhritz-Sandkirchen''', MBA<br>Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Environmental Protection
File:Aktuelles Portrai HM.jpg|'''Alexander Dovanius'''<br>Minister of Labor
File:Dr Ing Gerd Felix Eckelmann Wiesbaden.jpg|'''Maximilian Felix Hinterberger'''<br>Minister of Education and Research
File:2013 Nikolaus Meyer-Landrut.jpg|'''Gerhard von Campenau''', LLM<br>Minister of Justice
File:DSC02714 AfD in Neuhof (34) Beatrix von Sorch.jpg|'''Baroness Dr. Marie von Theuernfeldt'''<br>Minister of Families and Youth
File:Juergen Geissinger in green tie.jpg|'''Dr. Walter Knockenbrink'''<br>Minister of Culture and the Arts
File:Ariane Reinhart - re-publica 2018.jpg|'''Felicitas von Steinigt'''<br>Minister of the Post and Telecommunications
File:Josef Esch cropped.jpg|'''Dr. Wigerich Remsphal'''<br>Minister of Political Integration
File:GKs Brasack Portraetfoto.jpg|'''Dr. Carl Anton Stedelstedt'''<br>Minister of Health
</gallery>


===== Special Ministers =====
===Prime Minister and Cabinet===
<gallery>
The current Prime Minister, Karl-Heinz von Wittig, was appointed by the King in December 2024 following the November general election. He belongs to the Vaterlandspartei and succeeded Count Walther von Glückuhn-Steinitz due to his retirement from active politics. The Wittig cabinet consists of 18 ministers, the largest number in Blönland's history. Despite forming a comfortable majority with the PNE, PM Wittig decided to integrate the other four, smaller right-wing parties present in the House of Deputies. Four ministries were created for them. The cabinet has been criticized for not including a single woman (for the first time since 2012) and for including only 7 ministers not of noble birth (among them Wittig, who was ennobled in 2022).
20130922_Bundestagswahl_2013_in_Berlin_by_Moritz_Kosinsky0136.jpg|'''Marie Zollweger-Brekels'''<br>Special Minister for the Demographic Crisis, Deputy Minister of Health
Nikolai_von_Schoepff_in_2019.jpg|'''Michael Zastermann von Zasternfeld'''<br>Special Minister for Urban Affairs and Planning
Anka_Feldhusen_2020-02-04.jpg|'''Dr. Annelies Behrens'''<br>Special Minister for Inter-Kalmish Affairs and Ulethan Cooperation, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs
</gallery>


===== Ministers without Portfolio =====
=== United Diet===
<gallery>
[[File:Bloenland upper house 2024.svg|thumb|House of Lords of Blönland, as of October 2024.]]
Hobohm.M.A.H.2010.JPG|'''Count Peter von Woldemar und Gübenau'''<br>Minister without Portfolio
[[File:Bloenland lower house 2024.svg|thumb|House of Deputies of Blönland, following the election in October 2024.]]
Josef_Leo_Schwarzecker.jpg|'''Reinhard Pape'''<br>Minister without Portfolio
The United Diet (Vereinigter Landtag) is Blönland's bicameral legislature, merged from the legislatures of Blönland proper and Remsfalen-Lüningen in 1926. It sits in the Diet Houses in Burgenau and consists of the elected House of Deputies (Abgeordnetenhaus) and part-appointed, part-hereditary House of Lords (Herrenhaus). All laws must be passed by both chambers of the Diet and signed by the King to become valid.
Portrait_karl_ochsner.jpg|'''Hans-Wilhelm Baer'''<br>Minister without Portfolio
</gallery>


===== Ministers by Right =====
====House of Lords====
<gallery>
The House of Lords currently consists of 134 members, which include holders of hereditary seats, members appointed for life by the King or by various organizations, and mayors of large cities, bishops and university chancellors who have a seat due to their office. The King may grant hereditary or lifetime appointments to the House of Lords freely, though in practice, nominations are infrequent. Currently, every single member of the House of Lords is either an independent or affiliated with a right-wing party. The last Opposition member of the House of Lords, Gerd Baumann-Starck of the SAP, died in 2019.
Schwarz-Schilling1993_085.jpg|'''Dr. Anton von Troeselmeier''', DBA<br>Director of the National Bank of Blönland
Emily_Haber_2014_(cropped).jpg|'''Anna von Grünstein-Bohrwaldt'''<br>Director of the National Heritage Foundation of Blönland
2018-05-14-Uwe-Karsten_Heye-hart_aber_fair-9047.jpg|'''Arnulf Kofler''', MBA<br>Director of the Royal Purse
Christoph_Schönborn_(Gerusalemme,_08.11.2007).JPG|'''Cardinal Marquis Dr. Reinhold de Blazance'''<br>National Catholic Council President
2014-06-16_pbp_Bischof_Stefan_Oster-Portrait(1).jpg|'''Bishop Baron Martin von Neuwangk'''<br>Deputy National Catholic Council President, Representative of the Catholic Church of Remsfalen-Lüningen
Manfred_Fischer_Pfarrer_01.jpg|'''National Bishop Friedrich von Stahlbergen'''<br>Leader of the Protestant Church in Blönland and Remsfalen-Lüningen
Baron_Henri_Beyens.jpg|'''Count Dr. Arthur von Pyhritz-Sandkirchen'''<br>Chief Herald
Danielhuygens.jpg|'''Norbert von Neumann'''<br>National Commissioner for the Kingdom of Blönland
CoR_Members_portraits_-_Karl-Heinz_LAMBERTZ.jpg|'''Baron Rupprecht Radonek von Zeilberg'''<br>National Commissioner for the Grand Duchy of Remsfalen-Lüningen
Léopold_d’Arenberg_Czechia-2019.jpg|'''Prince Adalbert von Herrnstein'''<br>Master of the Royal Household
PakucsJanos.jpg|'''Justice Dr. Jacob von Riedersdorf'''<br>President of the Supreme Court
Jean-Claude_Sensemat.jpg|'''Michael Pottschlager'''<br>Director of the National Civilian Protection Agency
Frans_Wijnen_in_2013_-_RVT_9970-2.jpg|'''Klaus Thielekamp'''<br>Director of the National Agricultural Union
Andreas_von_Mettenheim.JPG|'''Anton Eduard Ritter von Schenkenstein'''<br>Director of the Royal Mint
Rechnitzer_János_portré.jpg|'''Karl Lambrechtsen'''<br>Director of the Royal Small and Medium Business Association
Gerhard_Cromme_hires.jpg|'''Dr. Lukas König'''<br>Director of the National Insurance Association
Prof._Dr._Siegmund_Helms.jpg|'''Leopold Schneider'''<br>Director of the National Scientific Association
Klaus_Draeger_(Manager)_2010.JPG|'''Martin Umkirch'''<br>Director of the National Archive
Ludwig_Neefs.jpg|'''Marcus von Schmitz'''<br>Director of the National Road Administration
Markku_Koli.jpg|General<br>'''Conrad Ritter von Groenemeyer'''<br>Director of the Royal Police
</gallery>


=== Administrative divisions and devolution ===
====House of Deputies====
The House of Deputies consists of 150 members, elected for a term of 5 years. 50 members are elected through federal party lists with a 5% threshold while the other 100 are elected in a first-past-the-post system, with Blönland proper and Remsfalen-Lüningen having 50 electoral districts each. As Remsfalen-Lüningen holds some 60% of the country's population, Blönland proper is slightly over-represented.


==== Constituent Countries ====
The current Government holds 113, or 75,3% of all seats. 33, or 8,7%, of the seats belong to the 4 parties of the United Opposition. The two Independents and the two LLL members do not vote with either the Government or the United Opposition.


Owing to its history that began as a personal union, the Kingdom of Great Blönland consists of two nominally semi-autonomous Constituent Countries (Länder), the Kingdom of Blönland (proper) and the Grand Duchy of Remsfalen-Lüningen. The King holds the title "Grand Duke of Remsfalen-Lüningen" as a subsidiary title. Before 1952, a Governor-General represented the King in Remsfalen-Lüningen but not in Blönland proper, and along with separate lower houses, the constituent countries had separate legal systems, that of Remsfalen-Lüningen based on that of its parent state Remsfalen. Remsfalen-Lüningen was a privileged autonomous entity "held under the Crown of Blönland".
=== Parties ===
[[File:Landtag des Grossherzogtums Oldenburg.jpg|thumb|National Assembly of Remsfalen-Lüningen in the Parliament House of Collenburg]]
Blönland has multiparty system. Center-right to right-wing parties have been in power since the failure of the Social-Liberal government in the 1980s. The main government parties are the conservative VP (Vaterlandspartei), the party of the Prime Minister, its nationalistic, irredentist offshoot PNE (Partei der Nationalen Einheit) and the mostly Northern, Protestant-oriented CDP (Christlich-Demokratische Partei). These have formed a variety of coalitions, usually including minor right-wing parties. The current coalition, which was formed following the 2024 elections, is dubbed the "Monster Coalition" because it consists of 7 parties and includes forces that are classified as extremist by foreign observers. The opposition parties include the SAP (Sozialistische Arbeiterpartei), which is the oldest pan-Blönland political party, and the social-liberal LP (Liberale Partei).
Since 1952, both entities have become legally equal and two National Commissioners (Landeskommissare) represent the King in them. Most old Remsfalian laws have been superseded by an unified Federal Code (Bundesrecht) based on the Laws of the Kingdom of Blönland, but some laws are not in force in Remsfalen-Lüningen.
[[File:Armory Graz.jpg|thumb|The Ständehaus, seat of the National Assembly of the Kingdom of Blönland in Neustadt auf der Höhe]]
As a replacement for the two separate parliaments, there are two National Assemblies (Landesversammlungen) in Blönland proper and Remsfalen-Lüningen which are entitled to make laws valid only in the respective countries. These laws may not supersede federal law. The National Assemblies may also request the House of Representatives to draft or amend federal laws concerning their constituent country.


The National Assembly of the Kingdom of Blönland meets in Neustadt auf der Höhe near the western border and a major part of regional agencies have moved there while Burgenau remains the nominal capital. The National Assembly of the Grand Duchy of Remsfalen-Lüningen meets in the house of the former Diet of Remsfalen-Lüningen in Collenburg.
The opposition is subject to significant pressure, which can include demonstrative arrests and political prosecution from time to time.  


==== Districts ====
Since 2012, the SAP and LP operate as an United Opposition and vote together. Smaller leftist parties have been added to the agreement since then, mirroring the behavior of the right-wing government. Both the government coalitions and the opposition parties are increasingly acting as consolidated entities not only inside but also outside of the Diet. Multiparty tickets for electoral districts have been twice as common in the 2024 General Election as in 1999.
The second administrative level is that of the 14 Districts (Bezirke). Blönland is separated into 8 and Remsfalen-Lüningen into 6, of which 4 are called Landesbezirke (Country Districts) and 2 are called Harden (Hundreds), which is a purely nominal distinction. The heads of Districts are directly elected in Blönland and the head of the district of Collenburg is elected by and from among the mayors of the cities forming the metropolitan area, other heads of Districts in Remsfalen-Lüningen are appointed by the National Commissioner on the recommendation of the council of county heads.


Blönland consists of the following Districts:
==== List of Political Parties ====
The two Christian parties (CDP and KU) are over-represented in the House of Lords because most bishops belong to them. Independents are heavily over-represented in the House of Lords because of the frequent appointment of members from outside the political sphere, though most of them vote with the Government.
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Party Abbreviation
!Full Name
!Ideology
!Notes
!Bloc
!Seats in the House of Lords
''Total: 134''
!Seats in the House of Deputies
''Total: 150''
|-
! colspan="7" |'''Major Parties''' ''(represented in at least one house of the Diet)''
|-
|{{legend|#0400E5|VP}}
|Vaterlandspartei
(Fatherland Party)
|Wide-tent, Christic Conservatism, National Conservatism, Right-Libertarianism, Right-Wing Populism, Traditionalism, Unionism*
|
|Government
|43
|59
|-
|{{legend|#EBEF00|PNE}}
|Partei der Nationalen Einheit
(Party of National Unity)
|National Conservatism, Christic Nationalism, Right-Wing Populism, Traditionalism, Ethnonationalism, Irredentism, Unionism*
|Split from the VP in 1983
|Government
|24
|31
|-
|{{legend|#000000|CDP}}
|Christlich-Demokratische Partei
(Christian-Democratic Party)
|Christic Democracy, Christic Nationalism, Traditionalism, Reformed Church Interests, Unionism*
|Only runs in Remsfalen-Lüningen
|Government
|7
|1
|-
|{{legend|#044E00|BB}}
|Bauernbund (Farmers' League)
|National Conservatism, Agrarianism, Right-Wing Populism, Aristocratic Interests (increasingly)
|Only runs in Remsfalen-Lüningen
|Government
|8
|6
|-
|{{legend|#DA970D|ND}}
|Nationaldemokraten (National Democrats)
|National Conservatism, Right-Wing Populism, Right-Wing Extremism, Militarism, Third Way, Ethnonationalism, Irredentism, Unionism*
|Split from the PNE in 1999
|Government
|1
|3
|-
|{{legend|#77007A|KU}}
|Kirchenunion
(Church Union)
|Christic Nationalism, Ortholic Integralism
|Only runs in Blönland proper
|Government
|8
|4
|-
|{{legend|#72D2E7|PdM}}
|Partei des Mittelstandes
(Party of the Middle Class)
|Right-Wing Populism, Right-Libertarianism, Business Interests
|Only runs in Blönland proper
|Government
|8
|9
|-
|{{legend|#F40000|SAP}}
|Sozialistische Arbeiterpartei
(Socialist Workers' Party)
|Social Democracy, Democratic Socialism, Left-Wing Populism, Progressivism (increasingly), Republicanism (increasingly), Unionism*
|
|United Opposition
|0
|20
|-
|{{legend|#B96FFF|LP}}
|Liberale Partei
(Liberal Party)
|Social Liberalism, Classic Liberalism, Neoliberalism, Internationalism**, Progressivism, Unionism*
|
|United Opposition
|0
|11
|-
|{{legend|#7A3627|PSP}}
|Progressiv-Soziale Partei
(Progressive-Social Party)
|Neoliberalism, Internationalism**, Progressivism, Democratic Socialism, Left-Libertarianism, Republicanism
|Only runs in Blönland proper
Party ban pending
|United Opposition
|0
|1
|-
|{{legend|#AF5151|SDPR}}
|Sozial-Demokratische Partei Remsfalens (Social-Democratic Party of Remsfalia)
|Social Democracy, Remsfalen-Lüningen Separatism, Remsfalian Rattachism**, Democratic Socialism, Left-Wing Populism
|Branch of the Remsfalian party of the same name
Only runs in Remsfalen-Lüningen
|United Opposition
|0
|1
|-
|{{legend|#2DE89A|LLL}}
|Liste Lebenswertes Lüningen
(List of Lüningen Worth Living)
|Moderate Conservatism, Lüningen Regional Interests, Autonomism
|Only runs in 8 electoral districts in Remsfalen-Lüningen
|None
|0
|2
|-
! colspan="7" |'''Minor Parties''' ''(not represented in the Diet)''
|-
|{{legend|#640100|KPB}}
|Kommunistische Partei Blönlands
(Communist Party of Blönland)
|Democratic Socialism, Democratic Communism, Left-Wing Populism, Internationalism***, Republicanism
|Banned under a 2016 decision of the Constitutional Court
|None
|0
|0
|-
|{{legend|#C20262|KPB-R}}
|Kommunistische Partei Blönlands - Revolutionärer Block
(Communist Party of Blönland - Revolutionary Bloc)
|Revolutionary Communism, Republicanism, Left-Wing Populism, Republicanism, Left-Wing Extremism
|Split from the KPB in 1977
Banned under a 2016 decision of the Constitutional Court
|None
|0
|0
|-
|{{legend|#FD8003|RB}}
|Republikanischer Bund
(Republican League)
|Left-Wing Populism, Left-Libertarianism, Progressivism, Republicanism
|Banned under a 2020 decision of the Constitutional Court
|None
|0
|0
|-
|{{legend|#A39002|URL}}
|Partei für ein unabhängiges Remsfalen-Lüningen
(Party for an Independent Remsfalen-Lüningen)
|Remsfalen-Lüningen separatism, Big-tent Populism, Regionalism, Remsfalian Rattachism
|Only runs in Remsfalen-Lüningen
|None
|0
|0
|-
|{{legend|#FCC600|FPB}}
|Freiheitliche Partei Blönlands
(Freedom Party of Blönland)
|Right-Wing Populism, Right-Libertarianism
|Split from the LP in 1990
|None
|0
|0
|-
|{{legend|#66A403|ÖSP}}
|Ökologisch-Soziale Partei
(Ecological-Social Party)
|Green Politics, Green Socialism, Democratic Socialism, Progressivism, Republicanism
|
|None
|0
|0
|-
|{{legend|#3E1C00|PDW}}
|Partei des Dritten Wegs
(Party of the Third Way)
|Right-wing extremism, Irredentism, Third Way Politics, Ethnonationalism
|
|None
|0
|0
|-
|{{legend|#016CC5|EUOIA}}
|Bündnis "Ja zur EUOIA"
(League "Yes to the EUOIA")
|Neoliberalism, Progressivism, Internationalism**, EUOIA Integration
|
|None
|0
|0
|-
! colspan="7" |Independents
|-
|{{legend|#848484|Independents}}
|
|Various
|
|None/Government
|35
|2
|-
| colspan="7" |In the context of Blönland, the following terms apply:
'''* Unionism''' means advocating for continuing the union between Blönland and Remsfalen-Lüningen, whether on a federal basis or in the form of a more centralized state


* Bezirk Burgenau-Stadt (it is identical to the county and municipality of Burgenau, the mayor of Burgenau automatically being the head of the district and of the county)
'''** Remsfalian Rattachism''' means advocating for a return of the Grand Duchy of Remsfalen-Lüningen to the Kingdom of Remsfalen
* Bezirk Burgenau-Land
* Bezirk Freudenthal
* Bezirk Oberland
* Bezirk Daxau
* Bezirk Neustadt auf der Höhe
* Bezirk Dietfeld
* Bezirk Pülckau


Remsfalen consists of the following Districts:
'''*** Internationalism''' means advocating for a stronger integration of Blönland into the international and especially Ulethan community, including but not limited to full EUOIA membership and fulfillment of what progressives term "international standards", such as a fully elected legislature and abolishing the death penalty
|}


* Landesbezirk Metropolregion Collenburg
===Constitutional Court and legal system===
* Landesbezirk Lessgau
The Constitutional Court (Verfassungsgericht), located in Burgenau, consists of 10 judges appointed by the King following recommendation by the Diet. It is the highest court of appeal for criminal, administrative and civil cases, rules on the constitutionality of laws and on disputes between the various regional and local governments. The justices of the Constitutional Court may not belong to a political party, though most are aligned with one or multiple parties due to the partisan nature of recommendations. The current President of the Constitutional Court is Prof. Dr. Ewald von Müller, his deputy is Dr. Carl Sartorius. The court sits in the Palace of Justice in Burgenau's Government Quarter, and shares its building with several specialized Federal-level courts and the Oberlandesgericht of Blönland proper.
* Landesbezirk Brüxhaven
* Landesbezirk Weisburg (which is notable for not containing the city of Weisburg, which lies in Remsfalen)
* Harde Papenau
* Harde Kronenburg


==== Counties ====
====Subordinate courts====
The Kingdom of Great Blönland is split into 57 Kreise (Counties). Some counties in Remsfalen-Lüningen are named Amt instead. Every county belongs to one district, and all districts except for Burgenau-Stadt contain multiple counties. Every County is headed by a directly elected Landrat (County Head), who is called Amtmann in counties bearing the designation Amt.
There are two top-level courts (Oberlandesgerichte) for each Constituent Country which hear appeals before they reach the Constitutional Court and must approve death sentences if meted out by a lower court. There are several Federal-level courts specialized in a certain field of law (labor, agriculture, administration). Most criminal and civil cases are heard by District-level courts. Some cities and municipalities have established local courts. Those that don't must name a Justice of the Peace to rule on minor civil cases and issue fines for lighter misdemeanors.


==== Municipalities ====
====Criminal justice====
Municipalities are the lowest normal level of territorial administration. They consist of one or multiple settlements and can be of multiple types.
Blönland enforces strict criminal laws, with mandatory death penalty for severe crimes such as murder, child sexual offenses, and drug-related crimes, resulting in 10 to 30 annual executions by hanging. Around 5% of all death sentences are issued for political crimes, which are defined very vaguely on purpose. Appeals are limited, royal pardons are rare. Harsh punishments like lengthy prison terms and whipping for minor offences are common. The country prosecutes citizens for crimes committed abroad, ignoring foreign rulings, while avoiding extradition of its own nationals and providing de facto immunity to the royal family, top officials, and aristocrats, fostering corruption. Opposition figures face targeted prosecutions, often bypassing parliamentary immunity.


* Landgemeinde, a municipality consisting of village or a group of villages
===Regional Governments===
* Marktgemeinde, a municipality consisting of a large village or a small town and sometimes also the adjacent settlements
Blönland's unique form of federalism is a result of the annexation of the Grand Duchy of Remsfalen-Lüningen in 1854 following the 2nd Remsfalian War. At first, it formed only a loose personal union with Blönland, with Remsfalen-Lüningen being ruled by a governor appointed by the King. Unification occured gradually, with a common customs area established in 1870, a common upper house of parliament in 1919 and a common lower house and civil code in 1926. Since 1926, Blönland and Remsfalen-Lüningen are theoretically equal in their level of autonomy, though some residual laws and organs unique to Remsfalen-Lüningen make it stand out from the federal political sysem which is largely based on that of pre-1854 Blönland.
* Stadtgemeinde, a municipality consisting of a town or a city and sometimes also the adjacent settlements


The heads of Landgemeinden are usually called Gemeindevorsteher (Municipality Head), the heads of Marktgemeinden and Stadtgemeinden and of some Landgemeinden are Bürgermeister (mayors).
The two Constituent Countries each retain control over cultural affairs, primary and secondary education, religious affairs, local government, healthcare, social services and most infrastructure within their borders. Blönland proper and Remsfalen-Lüningen retain rump Diets (Landtage) which handle these topics and are elected together with the United Diet every four years. The Diet of Remsfalen-Lüningen consists of 100 members, sits in Collenburg and is elected through a mix of proportional representation and first-past-the-post voting, utilizing the same 50 districts as Remsfalen-Lüningen's division of the House of Deputies. The Diet of Blönland moved from Burgenau to Neustadt auf der Höhe in 1949 and consists of 75 members, all elected proportionally since 2001. Laws changing the makeup of the federal electoral districts and the border between the two constitutional countries require the approval of the devolved Diets.


==== Manors ====
The King appoints Constituent Country executives (Landeshauptleute) in coordination with the two Diets. The current Landeshauptmann of Blönland proper is Count Johann von Glückuhn-Steinitz, a cousin of the former Prime Minister, while that of Remsfalen-Lüningen is Georg von Dahmerclau.
In the past, Blönnish society was highly feudal. Even after the abolition of serfdom in Remsfalen-Lüningen in 1812 and in the Kingdom of Blönland in 1856, noble landowners who possessed certain manors retained significant privileges, such as being allowed to appoint municipality mayors, teachers and priests, taxation of residents, the right to veto the sale of land in their municipalities and even to mete out fines. These privileges were abolished in 1952 by the Great Reform Act, but manorial rights were retained as dignities that can be bought and sold together with county houses and lands which cannot be separated without Royal Assent. Manorial lords retain certain rights over the residents of the areas "traditionally attached" to it, which usually consists of one or multiple municipalities, such as being entitled to a cut whenever land is bought and sold, to issue hunting licenses and an ex officio seat in the municipal council.


== Economy ==
Since 1972, the Constituent Countries' capacity to raise their own taxes is severely limited. However, the budgets they receive from the federal government are partially dependent on the amount of taxes collected there. Certain customs duties and taxes in the Collenburg and Brüxhaven free port zones as well as fisheries-related duties which are raised by Remsfalen-Lüningen under legislation originally introduced by the Kingdom of Remsfalen when the region still belonged to it. The legality of this exception was confirmed by the Constitutional Court in 1999.


== Infrastructure and Transportation ==
There are proposals to turn the city of Burgenau, as well as Collenburg, into Federal Districts independent of their respective constituent countries.


== Demographics ==
==Economy==
''[[Economy of Bloenland|Main article: Economy of Blönland]]''


== Culture ==
Blönland maintains a strong agricultural base which is complemented with industries such as automotive and defense production. Since the 1980s, the government sought to centralize production by promoting business parks outside cities and near motorways, often creating favorable road and railway accesses.


=== Cuisine ===
{{Infobox economy
Food and drink play an important part in the Blönnish culture, especially in the South.
| name = Blönland
| economy_type = mixed
| currency = Blönland Crown (Blönländische Krone) - 1 BKr = 100 S (Schilling).
| sample =
| monetary_authority = Blönland National Bank (Blönländische Landesbank)
| gdp_ppp_year =  
| gdp_ppp_total =
| gdp_ppp_per_capita =
| gdp_nominal_year =  
| gdp_nominal_total =
| gdp_nominal_per_capita =
| hdi = 0.915
| hdi_change = {{increase}}
| hdi_year =
| unemployment = 3.5%
| main_exports = Grains, dairy, wood
| main_imports = Coal, oil, ores, metals
| sector_bars =
| custom_label1 = (custom label that appears in bold on the left side of the infobox)
| custom1 = (custom information that is defined by custom_label1)
| custom_label2 = (custom label that appears in bold on the left side of the infobox)
| custom2 = (custom information that is defined by custom_label1)
}}


The cuisine of Blönland varies between Blönland proper and Remsfalen-Lüningen and is characterized as Kalmish but heavily influenced by its non-Kalmish neighbors. Meat and potatoes play an important role throughout the country, and fish is very popular in the coastal areas and along major rivers. Generally, Southern cuisine is considered "heavier" and relies more on thick sauces and red meat but also incorporates Izalandic elements, especially in remote mountain valleys, where dairy products are also very prominent. Northern cuisine is almost identical to that of the Kingdom of Remsfalen and emphasizes simplicity and modesty. Both Burgenau, the capital, and the northern metropolis Collenburg are famous for its coffee and tea culture and are home to many rivaling coffeeshops.
The tertiary sector begun rapidly developing after the fall of the Social-Democratic Coalition and most international banks, except for those associated with Izaland, maintain a presence in Burgenau and in Collenburg, attracting both ambitious climbers from Blönland's middle classes and expats from other parts of Uletha.


Blönland is famous for many renowned foods and drinks exported worldwide, especially sausages, cheeses, potatoes, sweets and beers. The government awards the label "Königliches Markenzeichen" (Royal Trademark) and the title "Königlicher Hoflieferant" (Royal Supplier) to farmers and artisans with a proven track record of high-quality, traditional production.
==Infrastructure==
''[[Infrastructure in Bloenland|Main article: Infrastructure in Blönland]]''


On weekdays, the day typically begins with a light Continental breakfast consisting of bread, butter, various spreads, cold cuts, eggs, cheese and sometimes porridge. Warm lunch, usually a soup, a meat dish and a small desert such as a pudding, is provided by most employers at the workplace, and businesses that don't have their own refectory tend to make agreements with local restaurants to provide free or discounted food to employees. However, in the north and among the urban working classes, packed cold lunch or eating at a snack or sausage shop is becoming increasingly common. The educated classes converge for tea and coffee between 4 and 5 PM, office workers usually drinking a cup and eating a piece of cake in front of their computers. Dinner is taken between 6 and 7 PM in the North and between 7 and 8 PM in the South, consisting either of a similar arrangement to breakfast or one simple warm dish such as a soup, a bowl of noodles or sausages. It is accompanied by a glass of beer or, where it is grown, wine.
==Culture==
''[[Culture of Bloenland|Main article: Culture of Blönland]]''


On weekends, eating schedules are distinct. A middle-class summer tradition is the Freitagsgrillen, or Friday BBQ - employees bring meat and sausages to the workplace and either stay there or go to the residence of their boss to decompress, discuss the work week and enjoy some beer, often with families present.  Saturday breakfast is usually replaced by a Brunch with scrambled eggs and sausages, and those who can afford it go out in the evening. Breakfast on Sundays is usually very sparse, allowing families to go to church in the morning, after which a hearty lunch that usually includes sunday roast (Sonntagsbraten) is ingested. On sunday afternoons, especially older and upper-class people tend to invite friends and relatives to coffee and some cake. Sunday dinner is identical to weekday dinners.
==Trivia==


As Blönland is very religious, fasts but also religious feast days, especially Christmas and Easter, play a major role in the cuisine and have special dishes that are not eaten during the rest of the year. The historical ban on meat during Lent has led to the creation of a variety of fish dishes, but also of dumplings and breads used to "hide" meat.
[[Category:Bloenland]]
[[Category:Bloenland]]
[[Category:Countries in East Uletha]]

Latest revision as of 15:13, 9 April 2025

Flag of Bloenland Kingdom of Great Blönland
Coat of Arms
Coat of Arms

Königreich Groß-Blönland (Blönnish Kalmish)
Capital: Burgenau
Population: 17.355.500 (2020)
Anthem: Blönlandlied

Loading map...

Blönland, formally the Kingdom of Great Blönland (Königreich Groß-Blönland) is a country in East Uletha. It borders Remsfalen to the west, Pyeokchin and Izaland to the south and the Sanain Republic to the east, as well as the Darcodian Sea to the north. It covers an area of 43390.86 km² and has a population of 17.355.500 (2020 census), resulting in a population density of 399,98 inhabitants per square kilometer. It is one of the easternmost culturally and linguistically Kalmish countries. The capital and largest single city is Burgenau, located in the south, though the metropolitan area of Collenburg, on the northern coast, is larger. Other major cities are: Brüxhaven, Daxau, Neustadt auf der Höhe, Dietfeld, Kronenburg, Freudenthal and Pülckau.

A constitutional monarchy ruled by a King, Prime Minister and bicameral parliament, Blönland consists of two Constituent Countries (Länder) - the Kingdom of Blönland proper (Königreich Blönland), with the capital Burgenau and the Grand Duchy of Remsfalen-Lüningen (Großherzogtum Remsfalen-Lüningen), with the capital Collenburg. Historically distinct entities that were gradually unified after they came under a personal union, both have retained large degrees of autonomy and are culturally distinct, speaking different dialects. While Blönland is primarily Catholic, Remsfalen-Lüningen is mostly Protestant, except for areas in its south and east. The forested Central Mountains separate Blönland proper from largely flat Remsfalen-Lüningen, while the southern border is formed by the MOUNTAINRANGENAME.

File:Government icon (black).svg
Government of Blönland
Federal, constitutional, parliamentary, hereditary monarchy
CapitalBurgenau
Head of state
• King of BlönlandGeorg III
• Prime MinisterKarl-Heinz von Wittig
LegislatureUnited Diet
• Upper houseHouse of Lords
• Lower houseHouse of Deputies
JudiciaryConstitutional Court
Major political parties
  VP
  PNE
  CDP
  BB
  ND
  KU
  PdM
  SAP
  LP
  PSP
  SDPR
  LLL
  Independents
Assembly of Nations, EUOIA (observer)
File:Government Data - The Noun Project.svg
Administrative divisions of Blönland
First-levelConstituent Countries
Second-levelDistricts
Third-levelCounties
Fourth-levelMunicipality
Largest Constituent Countries
• Remsfalen-Lüningen
• Blönland proper
10.534.700
6.820.800
File:Noun project 288.svg
Demographics of Blönland
DemonymBlönish
Official languagesKalmish
Recognized minority languagesSanain
Ethnicities
Kalmish
  
95.2%
Sanain
  
2.3%
Blönish Highlander
  
0.4%
Izaki
  
0.2%
Other
  
1.9%
Religion
Ortholic
  
43.1%
United Remsfalian Church
  
32.8%
Evangelist
  
7.3%
Atheist / No Religion
  
5.2%
United Reformed Church
  
4.2%
Old Ortholic
  
3.3%
Minionite
  
2.1%
Other
  
2.0%
LiteracyIncrease99.9
Life expectancyIncrease78.3
Birth rateDecrease16.7
Death rateDecrease11.3

Geography

Administrative Divisions

Main article: Administrative Divisions of Blönland

Blönland consists of two Constituent Countries (Länder) - Blönland proper, forming roughly the southern half of the country, and Remsfalen-Lüningen in the north. Each Constituent Country consists of Districs (Bezirke), which in turn are split into Counties (Landkreise), with the exception of Burgenau, the Collenburg Metropolitan Region and the Principality of Campenau that double as a District and a County. A major municipal reform between 1958 and 1960 removed many, but not all historical anomalies and exclaves. The current administrative division dates to 2007, when several municipalities were merged into the city of Collenburg to form the Metropolitan Region.

Cities

Main article: Burgenau

Gallery

History

Prehistory

Blönland's prehistory stretches back over 50.000 years. Situated at the crossroads of East Uletha, the land that would eventually become Blönland was settled by early humans in the late Paleolithic period. While the precise movements of early settlers are still debated, it is widely accepted that humans arrived in the region by around 50.000 BC, likely as part of the broader wave of human migration across the continent. A nomadic culture likely existed for some time, brought to an end when the mammoth-rich cold steppes of the country's northern half turned into dense forests by the end of the Ice Age.

Archaeological findings suggest that by 10.000 BC, Blönland had become home to some of the region’s earliest known settlements. Two major prehistoric sites - one near the town of Andrämünster and another at Friedrichsthal near Dietfeld - provide evidence of the area’s earliest inhabitants. The material culture at these sites includes tools, pottery fragments, and signs of early habitation. These sites are notable for their association with hunter-gatherer societies, indicating that the first settlers of Blönland were part of the wider East Ulethan cultural milieu.

In the centuries that followed, the archaeological record shows a shift toward more permanent settlement patterns, with growing evidence of proto-agricultural activity, animal domestication, and the gradual development of social structures that laid the foundation for future Blönland’s complex societies.

As the region continued to develop, proto-Sanain tribes began to emerge, setting the stage for the later ethnogenesis of the Sanain people. These tribes were one of the primary cultural groups in Blönland and are believed to have originated in the northeastern parts of the country, north of the Silver Mountains, in modern-day Lessgau. The Sanain peoples were deeply connected to their environment, practicing a mix of hunting, gathering, and early forms of agriculture. Their religion was largely shamanistic, with spiritual leaders acting as intermediaries between the natural world and the supernatural realm. There is evidence that some tribes practiced human sacrifice and considered the glaciers of MOUNTAINRANGENAME sacred, killing children that would be mummified in shrines constructed from stones and rubble found near glaciers.

In contrast, the southern parts of Blönland, especially the fertile Burgenau Basin and the Weid Valley, were more influenced by external forces. Archaeological evidence suggests the presence of Proto-Izaki and Pyeokchin warrior-aristocrats in these areas. These populations likely arrived during multiple invasions, starting around 5000 BC, bringing with them new social structures, religious practices, and cultural traditions. Over time, the southern part of Blönland became a hybrid society where the Sanain substrate persisted in the lower classes, while the ruling elite adopted Proto-Northern Izaki religion, language, and social organization. It is debated whether the Sanain population was reduced to a state of serfdom or actual slavery. As in northwestern Izaland, "seers" - wise men but also some women - were exchanged between the polities frequently.

By the 1st millennium BC, the southern regions of Blönland began to experience proto-urbanization. Small city-states, formed by Izaki and Pyeokchin nobles, emerged along the Bodau River and in the fertile southwestern parts of the country. This urbanization was centered on trade and agriculture, and it laid the groundwork for a more structured and hierarchical society. The Rindokareri system, imported from Izaland, was a key feature of these early city-states.

The Bodau River, which runs through the heart of southwestern Blönland, became a major commercial hub. Evidence suggests that the river was a key trading route linking the Izaki lands to the Darcodian Sea. Traders from northern Izaland used the Steinberg Pass as a crossing point, bringing goods such as textiles, pottery, and metal tools into Blönland. These merchants would travel downstream on riverboats, passing through a series of fishing and trade settlements in the Bodau delta area, near modern-day Collenburg, before venturing further into the Darcodian Sea.

By 700 BC, agriculture had spread throughout the southern Blönland and the Bodau glacial valley, brought by Izaki settlers. However, the climate in Blönland proved to be inhospitable for the cultivation of rice. Archaeological findings suggest several failed attempts to grow rice in the south, indicating the challenge of adapting southern farming techniques to the cooler environment. As a result, Blönland’s agricultural focus shifted to cereals, fruits, and hardier crops better suited to the local climate. The fertile Bodau glacial valley, north of Dietfeld, became a key area for the expansion of agriculture, particularly wheat and rye.

There is evidence of the early development of alcoholic beverages. Pottery from the upper Bodau valley has been found, with evidence of its use for brewing and storing alcoholic drinks. The first vineyards in Blönland appeared around Lake Sayn and in the upper Bodau valley. It is likely that Blönish wine was a major trade good and transported as far as Älved.


Kalmish colonization and Christianization

Margraviate of Burgenau

Establishment of the Kingdom and expansion

Lüningish Wars and Unification Era

Great Ulethan War

Late 20th Century

Postwar Recovery

Mountain War

Arctic War Intervention

1976 Nuclear Test Scandal

Christian-Social Coalition

Steinhäusel Scandal

1999 Christmas Agreement

21st Century

Government

Main article: Government of Blönland

Georg III, King of Blönland and Grand Duke of Remsfalen-Lüningen
Dr. Karl-Heinz von Wittig, Prime Minister of Blönland

Blönland is a Federal, constitutional, parliamentary, hereditary monarchy. The current constitution, in force since 1926 with minor changes, provides for governmental authority to be exercised jointly by the King and the Prime Minister (Ministerpräsident), with a separation of powers between the executive government, the legislative (the United Diet) and the judicative (headed by the Constitutional Court).

The Crown is hereditary in the House of Blönland, a branch of the von Burgenau family, passing from father to eldest son. Women, descendants of princesses who have married out of the family and children from illegitimate or unapproved unions may not ascend to the throne. Members of the Royal Family are only allowed to marry other royals or members of the higher nobility.

The current King is Georg III, crowned after the death of his predecessor Friedrich-Alexander III in early 2024. The Blönish royal house is closely related to that of Remsfalen, the King's mother Queen Dowager Olga being a Princess of Remsfalen and a sister of the current Remsfalian monarch.

The King of Blönland retaints significant powers and exercises them frequently. This makes Blönland different from most modern constitutional monarchies, where the head of state is limited to ceremonial functions. Most democracy watchdogs consider Blönland a mixed regime due to the high influence of the monarchy and an electoral system and upper house that favor conservative elements. Many decisions are made behind the scenes in what is euphemistically described as a system of "consensus-based governance", controlled by several overlapping aristocratic patronage networks all directly or indirectly subservient to the Royal House, big business and major landowners.

The King names a Prime Minister (Ministerpräsident), by convention after each general election, and appoints ministers proposed by the PM. The current Prime Minister is Karl-Heinz von Wittig, who is considered a close friend of King Georg III.

Prime Minister and Cabinet

The current Prime Minister, Karl-Heinz von Wittig, was appointed by the King in December 2024 following the November general election. He belongs to the Vaterlandspartei and succeeded Count Walther von Glückuhn-Steinitz due to his retirement from active politics. The Wittig cabinet consists of 18 ministers, the largest number in Blönland's history. Despite forming a comfortable majority with the PNE, PM Wittig decided to integrate the other four, smaller right-wing parties present in the House of Deputies. Four ministries were created for them. The cabinet has been criticized for not including a single woman (for the first time since 2012) and for including only 7 ministers not of noble birth (among them Wittig, who was ennobled in 2022).

United Diet

House of Lords of Blönland, as of October 2024.
House of Deputies of Blönland, following the election in October 2024.

The United Diet (Vereinigter Landtag) is Blönland's bicameral legislature, merged from the legislatures of Blönland proper and Remsfalen-Lüningen in 1926. It sits in the Diet Houses in Burgenau and consists of the elected House of Deputies (Abgeordnetenhaus) and part-appointed, part-hereditary House of Lords (Herrenhaus). All laws must be passed by both chambers of the Diet and signed by the King to become valid.

House of Lords

The House of Lords currently consists of 134 members, which include holders of hereditary seats, members appointed for life by the King or by various organizations, and mayors of large cities, bishops and university chancellors who have a seat due to their office. The King may grant hereditary or lifetime appointments to the House of Lords freely, though in practice, nominations are infrequent. Currently, every single member of the House of Lords is either an independent or affiliated with a right-wing party. The last Opposition member of the House of Lords, Gerd Baumann-Starck of the SAP, died in 2019.

House of Deputies

The House of Deputies consists of 150 members, elected for a term of 5 years. 50 members are elected through federal party lists with a 5% threshold while the other 100 are elected in a first-past-the-post system, with Blönland proper and Remsfalen-Lüningen having 50 electoral districts each. As Remsfalen-Lüningen holds some 60% of the country's population, Blönland proper is slightly over-represented.

The current Government holds 113, or 75,3% of all seats. 33, or 8,7%, of the seats belong to the 4 parties of the United Opposition. The two Independents and the two LLL members do not vote with either the Government or the United Opposition.

Parties

Blönland has multiparty system. Center-right to right-wing parties have been in power since the failure of the Social-Liberal government in the 1980s. The main government parties are the conservative VP (Vaterlandspartei), the party of the Prime Minister, its nationalistic, irredentist offshoot PNE (Partei der Nationalen Einheit) and the mostly Northern, Protestant-oriented CDP (Christlich-Demokratische Partei). These have formed a variety of coalitions, usually including minor right-wing parties. The current coalition, which was formed following the 2024 elections, is dubbed the "Monster Coalition" because it consists of 7 parties and includes forces that are classified as extremist by foreign observers. The opposition parties include the SAP (Sozialistische Arbeiterpartei), which is the oldest pan-Blönland political party, and the social-liberal LP (Liberale Partei).

The opposition is subject to significant pressure, which can include demonstrative arrests and political prosecution from time to time.

Since 2012, the SAP and LP operate as an United Opposition and vote together. Smaller leftist parties have been added to the agreement since then, mirroring the behavior of the right-wing government. Both the government coalitions and the opposition parties are increasingly acting as consolidated entities not only inside but also outside of the Diet. Multiparty tickets for electoral districts have been twice as common in the 2024 General Election as in 1999.

List of Political Parties

The two Christian parties (CDP and KU) are over-represented in the House of Lords because most bishops belong to them. Independents are heavily over-represented in the House of Lords because of the frequent appointment of members from outside the political sphere, though most of them vote with the Government.

Party Abbreviation Full Name Ideology Notes Bloc Seats in the House of Lords

Total: 134

Seats in the House of Deputies

Total: 150

Major Parties (represented in at least one house of the Diet)
  VP
Vaterlandspartei

(Fatherland Party)

Wide-tent, Christic Conservatism, National Conservatism, Right-Libertarianism, Right-Wing Populism, Traditionalism, Unionism* Government 43 59
  PNE
Partei der Nationalen Einheit

(Party of National Unity)

National Conservatism, Christic Nationalism, Right-Wing Populism, Traditionalism, Ethnonationalism, Irredentism, Unionism* Split from the VP in 1983 Government 24 31
  CDP
Christlich-Demokratische Partei

(Christian-Democratic Party)

Christic Democracy, Christic Nationalism, Traditionalism, Reformed Church Interests, Unionism* Only runs in Remsfalen-Lüningen Government 7 1
  BB
Bauernbund (Farmers' League) National Conservatism, Agrarianism, Right-Wing Populism, Aristocratic Interests (increasingly) Only runs in Remsfalen-Lüningen Government 8 6
  ND
Nationaldemokraten (National Democrats) National Conservatism, Right-Wing Populism, Right-Wing Extremism, Militarism, Third Way, Ethnonationalism, Irredentism, Unionism* Split from the PNE in 1999 Government 1 3
  KU
Kirchenunion

(Church Union)

Christic Nationalism, Ortholic Integralism Only runs in Blönland proper Government 8 4
  PdM
Partei des Mittelstandes

(Party of the Middle Class)

Right-Wing Populism, Right-Libertarianism, Business Interests Only runs in Blönland proper Government 8 9
  SAP
Sozialistische Arbeiterpartei

(Socialist Workers' Party)

Social Democracy, Democratic Socialism, Left-Wing Populism, Progressivism (increasingly), Republicanism (increasingly), Unionism* United Opposition 0 20
  LP
Liberale Partei

(Liberal Party)

Social Liberalism, Classic Liberalism, Neoliberalism, Internationalism**, Progressivism, Unionism* United Opposition 0 11
  PSP
Progressiv-Soziale Partei

(Progressive-Social Party)

Neoliberalism, Internationalism**, Progressivism, Democratic Socialism, Left-Libertarianism, Republicanism Only runs in Blönland proper

Party ban pending

United Opposition 0 1
  SDPR
Sozial-Demokratische Partei Remsfalens (Social-Democratic Party of Remsfalia) Social Democracy, Remsfalen-Lüningen Separatism, Remsfalian Rattachism**, Democratic Socialism, Left-Wing Populism Branch of the Remsfalian party of the same name

Only runs in Remsfalen-Lüningen

United Opposition 0 1
  LLL
Liste Lebenswertes Lüningen

(List of Lüningen Worth Living)

Moderate Conservatism, Lüningen Regional Interests, Autonomism Only runs in 8 electoral districts in Remsfalen-Lüningen None 0 2
Minor Parties (not represented in the Diet)
  KPB
Kommunistische Partei Blönlands

(Communist Party of Blönland)

Democratic Socialism, Democratic Communism, Left-Wing Populism, Internationalism***, Republicanism Banned under a 2016 decision of the Constitutional Court None 0 0
  KPB-R
Kommunistische Partei Blönlands - Revolutionärer Block

(Communist Party of Blönland - Revolutionary Bloc)

Revolutionary Communism, Republicanism, Left-Wing Populism, Republicanism, Left-Wing Extremism Split from the KPB in 1977

Banned under a 2016 decision of the Constitutional Court

None 0 0
  RB
Republikanischer Bund

(Republican League)

Left-Wing Populism, Left-Libertarianism, Progressivism, Republicanism Banned under a 2020 decision of the Constitutional Court None 0 0
  URL
Partei für ein unabhängiges Remsfalen-Lüningen

(Party for an Independent Remsfalen-Lüningen)

Remsfalen-Lüningen separatism, Big-tent Populism, Regionalism, Remsfalian Rattachism Only runs in Remsfalen-Lüningen None 0 0
  FPB
Freiheitliche Partei Blönlands

(Freedom Party of Blönland)

Right-Wing Populism, Right-Libertarianism Split from the LP in 1990 None 0 0
  ÖSP
Ökologisch-Soziale Partei

(Ecological-Social Party)

Green Politics, Green Socialism, Democratic Socialism, Progressivism, Republicanism None 0 0
  PDW
Partei des Dritten Wegs

(Party of the Third Way)

Right-wing extremism, Irredentism, Third Way Politics, Ethnonationalism None 0 0
  EUOIA
Bündnis "Ja zur EUOIA"

(League "Yes to the EUOIA")

Neoliberalism, Progressivism, Internationalism**, EUOIA Integration None 0 0
Independents
  Independents
Various None/Government 35 2
In the context of Blönland, the following terms apply:

* Unionism means advocating for continuing the union between Blönland and Remsfalen-Lüningen, whether on a federal basis or in the form of a more centralized state

** Remsfalian Rattachism means advocating for a return of the Grand Duchy of Remsfalen-Lüningen to the Kingdom of Remsfalen

*** Internationalism means advocating for a stronger integration of Blönland into the international and especially Ulethan community, including but not limited to full EUOIA membership and fulfillment of what progressives term "international standards", such as a fully elected legislature and abolishing the death penalty

Constitutional Court and legal system

The Constitutional Court (Verfassungsgericht), located in Burgenau, consists of 10 judges appointed by the King following recommendation by the Diet. It is the highest court of appeal for criminal, administrative and civil cases, rules on the constitutionality of laws and on disputes between the various regional and local governments. The justices of the Constitutional Court may not belong to a political party, though most are aligned with one or multiple parties due to the partisan nature of recommendations. The current President of the Constitutional Court is Prof. Dr. Ewald von Müller, his deputy is Dr. Carl Sartorius. The court sits in the Palace of Justice in Burgenau's Government Quarter, and shares its building with several specialized Federal-level courts and the Oberlandesgericht of Blönland proper.

Subordinate courts

There are two top-level courts (Oberlandesgerichte) for each Constituent Country which hear appeals before they reach the Constitutional Court and must approve death sentences if meted out by a lower court. There are several Federal-level courts specialized in a certain field of law (labor, agriculture, administration). Most criminal and civil cases are heard by District-level courts. Some cities and municipalities have established local courts. Those that don't must name a Justice of the Peace to rule on minor civil cases and issue fines for lighter misdemeanors.

Criminal justice

Blönland enforces strict criminal laws, with mandatory death penalty for severe crimes such as murder, child sexual offenses, and drug-related crimes, resulting in 10 to 30 annual executions by hanging. Around 5% of all death sentences are issued for political crimes, which are defined very vaguely on purpose. Appeals are limited, royal pardons are rare. Harsh punishments like lengthy prison terms and whipping for minor offences are common. The country prosecutes citizens for crimes committed abroad, ignoring foreign rulings, while avoiding extradition of its own nationals and providing de facto immunity to the royal family, top officials, and aristocrats, fostering corruption. Opposition figures face targeted prosecutions, often bypassing parliamentary immunity.

Regional Governments

Blönland's unique form of federalism is a result of the annexation of the Grand Duchy of Remsfalen-Lüningen in 1854 following the 2nd Remsfalian War. At first, it formed only a loose personal union with Blönland, with Remsfalen-Lüningen being ruled by a governor appointed by the King. Unification occured gradually, with a common customs area established in 1870, a common upper house of parliament in 1919 and a common lower house and civil code in 1926. Since 1926, Blönland and Remsfalen-Lüningen are theoretically equal in their level of autonomy, though some residual laws and organs unique to Remsfalen-Lüningen make it stand out from the federal political sysem which is largely based on that of pre-1854 Blönland.

The two Constituent Countries each retain control over cultural affairs, primary and secondary education, religious affairs, local government, healthcare, social services and most infrastructure within their borders. Blönland proper and Remsfalen-Lüningen retain rump Diets (Landtage) which handle these topics and are elected together with the United Diet every four years. The Diet of Remsfalen-Lüningen consists of 100 members, sits in Collenburg and is elected through a mix of proportional representation and first-past-the-post voting, utilizing the same 50 districts as Remsfalen-Lüningen's division of the House of Deputies. The Diet of Blönland moved from Burgenau to Neustadt auf der Höhe in 1949 and consists of 75 members, all elected proportionally since 2001. Laws changing the makeup of the federal electoral districts and the border between the two constitutional countries require the approval of the devolved Diets.

The King appoints Constituent Country executives (Landeshauptleute) in coordination with the two Diets. The current Landeshauptmann of Blönland proper is Count Johann von Glückuhn-Steinitz, a cousin of the former Prime Minister, while that of Remsfalen-Lüningen is Georg von Dahmerclau.

Since 1972, the Constituent Countries' capacity to raise their own taxes is severely limited. However, the budgets they receive from the federal government are partially dependent on the amount of taxes collected there. Certain customs duties and taxes in the Collenburg and Brüxhaven free port zones as well as fisheries-related duties which are raised by Remsfalen-Lüningen under legislation originally introduced by the Kingdom of Remsfalen when the region still belonged to it. The legality of this exception was confirmed by the Constitutional Court in 1999.

There are proposals to turn the city of Burgenau, as well as Collenburg, into Federal Districts independent of their respective constituent countries.

Economy

Main article: Economy of Blönland

Blönland maintains a strong agricultural base which is complemented with industries such as automotive and defense production. Since the 1980s, the government sought to centralize production by promoting business parks outside cities and near motorways, often creating favorable road and railway accesses.

File:Q159810 noun 509351 ccParkjisun economy.svg
Economy of Blönland
mixed
CurrencyBlönland Crown (Blönländische Krone) - 1 BKr = 100 S (Schilling).
Monetary authorityBlönland National Bank (Blönländische Landesbank)
HDI ()Increase 0.915
very high
Unemployment rate3.5%
Principal exportsGrains, dairy, wood
Principal importsCoal, oil, ores, metals
(custom label that appears in bold on the left side of the infobox)(custom information that is defined by custom_label1)
(custom label that appears in bold on the left side of the infobox)(custom information that is defined by custom_label1)


The tertiary sector begun rapidly developing after the fall of the Social-Democratic Coalition and most international banks, except for those associated with Izaland, maintain a presence in Burgenau and in Collenburg, attracting both ambitious climbers from Blönland's middle classes and expats from other parts of Uletha.

Infrastructure

Main article: Infrastructure in Blönland

Culture

Main article: Culture of Blönland

Trivia