Challenge: describe "your" country

[Mechaman]

I'm going to include some historical/geographic background.  Beware, it's not entirely realistic (remember, writing this as a strawman of the ideal republic):

Mechonia:

Geographic/Climate

A remote mountainous region that is roughly 330,000 square miles in land area, Mechonia is known for it's harsh yet livable climate infamous for it's lack of sunlight and cold temperatures.  Located in just a few degree south of the Arctic Circle, days here are either really long or really short depending on the season.  However, the climate patterns variate depending on where one lives.  Along the coastal regions, precipitation is quite common and the land is quite green considering the reputation of Mechonia as a frigid mountain covered region.  In most of the region however, the blocking effect of the expansive mountain ranges has yielded a semi-arid climate with many areas that receive less than 10" in precipitation every year.  The coastal areas are well regulated by oceanic shifts to a moderate climate characterized by heavy precipitation and Arctic Marine climate (temperature ranges from 10F to 62F year round) while the inland areas suffer temperature extremes common for removed areas (temperature ranges from -70F to 106F year round).  There are several lakes in the inland area, as well as some streams, creeks, and rivers, that also provide the residents with plentiful (but Jardia infested) waters.  Settlements on the coast have been around for thousands of years by indigenous peoples, though there are records of a few inhabitants predating the colonial era in the inland areas around the caverns of the Niublan sector.  This makes Mechonia one of the world's most inhospitable regions to have had record of long term settlements.

History:

"O'Mechonia, the place where hope dies as the winds.  Pity be the poor man who be settled there!"-Sir Edmund J. Smith

Settled many thousands of years ago by indigenous tribes, Mechonia has a cultural history that fits well with it's hostile climate.  Historical record shows that a vast majority of settlement in the region happened in the coastal regions (which make up roughly 75,000 of the 330,000 sq. miles of the region), of which the numbers were small.  It is estimated that before the spread of the Smallpox plague that the population of indigenous peoples in Mechonia numbered at most 6,000.  In the words of historian John J. Abrams "Mechonia was a region which had weather so inhospitable to pre-modern technological civilization that most of the Inuits and other northern native groups that tried to settle it died out from famine and the cold.  The 6,000 population figure are those that settled on the less hostile coastal region. . . . . the descendants of those few groups that had gotten accustomed to the cold climate that killed many others."  By the time the first Europeans discovered Mechonia. . .  all they found was mountainous wastelands and the ghostly shells of dead indigenous villages.  Those that might've survived the plagues most likely scattered to the four winds or fled south towards more hospitable climes.  All that is left of the natives are the remains of those villages that were later converted to towns by mostly white European settlers.  For hundreds of years, they have tried to find out the mysteries and history of those that came before them. . . . . with considerable success.  What is known is that the ancient Mechonian tribes were largely a combination of hunter gatherers and farmers.  In the Coastal areas various crops were grown, including signs of a brewery culture.  Most tribes preferred vegetarianism, given the suitable lands along the coast and the limited amount of suitable game.  Inland cultures were more carnivorish, given the large amounts of bears, moose, cougars, and various other big game in the area.

The first documented record of European exploration in the region was in 1775, when Thomas James O'Riordan, an Irish born Spanish Lieutenant, and his unit came across the remains of some villages during the September of that year.  The group explored the habitable coastal regions and set up camp at Fort Leon, located near present day Neimanheim, Mechonia's most populous city.  The vast majority of the inland areas, due to it's inhospitable nature, was avoided.  Once Fort Leon and the port town of St. Lazarus were set up, O'Riordan had an envoy sent back to the French and Spanish colonies of North and South America to encourage immigration to the north to establish a center of trade in the northern regions of North America.  Due to changing political realities, Fort Leon and St. Lazarus changed hands often between the colonial powers, as early as 1782 the British took hold of the virgin region after asserting their authority over the region due to an earlier agreement between them and the Spanish.  However, immigration to the region spurred on as many poor European settlers in the expanses of colonial America moved there due to the economic opportunities (cheap land, some of it being given away, as well as some mines discovered further inland) in the area.  Over time the region grew into a diverse population center with several new towns along the coastline and even a few mining communities located closer to the mountains.  Although now a British colony, it experienced quite a bit of immigration from other powers, mainly Russian and French, that was possible due to the lax enforcement of the area (British governing authorities saw it as a "low priority region") that saw some of the earliest examples of free trade between world powers (Tory MPs in Parliament liked to attack free trade by bringing up "the joke state of Mechonia").  The remoteness of the coastal settlements of Mechonia made international cooperation between these settlers (who were often at war with each other back home) a necessity.  One particular example of the odd nature of British controlled Mechonia was when the British garrisons at Fort James allowed Russian traders free room and board at the height of the Crimean War.  The Governor of Mechonia at the time, a Sir Isaac Josephs, summarized his view of the even:

Whether our far away mother countries are at war is irrelevant to the establishment of our forts of trade out here in this Devil's Land where even your worst enemies are your best friends.  FOr a death by Russian hordes is much preferable to the winters of the Inland Mountains!

However laissez faire the governance of the area was, discontentment always seemed high amongst the mostly lower class residents that made up the majority of Mechonia's economy.  By the 1850's several large labor movements were rising up in the region, demanding rights and protections in their occupations as well as guarantees for social mobility.  Many of the impoverished residents, including large numbers of Jews from the Russian Empire fleeing from persecution, Catholic immigrants from Ireland fleeing famine, the disenfranchised French from other parts of British Canada, Germans fleeing Revolution back home, and some Scandinavian communities, began to protest the government in Georgesville for neglecting their interests.  At the time rich prosperous farmers and industrialists (mostly of English background) took advantage of the availability of cheap and willing labor to extract the resources of the land.

Given the times, labor insurrectionists were unexpected thing.  However, recent immigration from Europe brought over scores of survivors of the Revolutions of 1848 who were filled with revolutionary zeal against "the established oligarchies of the Old World."  Some of the more educated German immigrants had brought over copies of a book called "the Communist Manifesto" by a Santa Claus looking character named Karl Marx.  Sensing the large scale arrival of Irish laborers as a sign, themselves victims of capitalist ignorance and Old World totalitarianism, some of these former German nationalists began an organized campaign that reached across the continent to the ports of America to encourage those with revolutionary zeal to move to Mechonia. . . . where the plans for the first worker's paradise in the world were being put into motion.  Inspired by the success of the "Underground Railroad" in America, these revolutionaries began establishing their own network of informants, propagandists, and agents that ranged from Ft. Leon all the way to New York City, in America.

Seizing upon the concern of the British with the American Civil War, the residents of the removed colony finally struck out with region wide mining strikes and worker uprisings.  Seizing armories across the region with the help of sympathetic low level immigrant troops, the revolution spread throughout Mechonia like a plague.  Starting on September 1st, the revolution was complete in establishing control in all populated areas and forts by September 8th.  Military losses were minimal, given the weak military presence in the region (most soldiers surrendered to the revolutionaries, if not joined them).  The British authorities left, with their tail between their legs, towards nearby Canada offering terms to the government in Ottawa.  The authorities, sensing their position as fragile, signed the terms of surrender, thus relinquishing British control of the area to the left wing residents.

Loosely founded on the principles of Marx, the newly free and independent state of Mechonia was established as a loose confederation of governing boards similar to the vision of libertarian socialist philosophers of the time.  The new motto of the nation would be "the Common Land", an emphasis both on it's foundation of the interests of the commoners who overthrew their oppressive upper class rulers and on the basis of the foundation of the government in common property ownership.

Update relating to modern Mechonia politics and the like will be up later.

[Mechaman]

Mechonian Political History to Present Day:

Since 1861, there have been six different incarnations of the Mechonian state.  There have been two revolutions, two government failures. and a foreign invasion.

The first of these states was the Confederation of Mechonian States which were pretty much a left wing version of the early United States under the Articles of Confederation.  Pretty much, all the of the localities of the Mechonian state were ruled completely by governing boards that dictated everything economical and social.  Almost immediately the flaws in this governance were seen, as many localities were at odds with each other.  Given the diversity (for the times) of the Mechonian State, cultural barriers became stronger than ever.  Some localities operated as if out of the Marxist playbook, others went back to full on laissez faire capitalism, some made Russian the official language, others instituted Gaeltacht, some even got the idea to create their own languages, and on and on the differences were made plain.  As a result, one nation became 72, each town, each village, each city in effect becoming a city state.  In Spring of 1881, the Confederation would fall and delegates from all over the nation would meet to at a new Constitutional Convention to establish a proper Mechonian nation that could unite the municipalities under one leadership.

In January of 1882 the new nation would be founded, the Republic of Mechonia.  20 plus years removed from the initial revolution against the British capitalists, this new establishment would be markedly less radical than the one that came before it.  A new national government was formed, establishing universal suffrage rights and popular vote elections and an emphasis on democratic rights.  A system of wealth was created, with rights for corporations and companies to operate within the confines of the nation's borders, with full respect of labor rights.  Although labeled "the capitalist Mechonia", this nation was still well to the left of many of it's time (many Mechonians laughed at "progressives" in the United States who introduced trust busting legislation, noting that regulations on business was a lot more thorough in the nation).  It was under this Mechonia that the Georgist Land Tax was first introduced, whereby the unmodified value of land was taxed for government revenues.  Language as a whole was left unmolested, though unofficially most places kept English as the unofficial language.  This state would last until 1920, when it was overthrown by a Communist revolution.

The People's Republic of Mechonia would last for a relatively short amount of time.  In the time that it did radical reforms were made, such as the abolition of all corporations, in the nation.  Also, the middle and upper classes of society were dissolved by government decree and all their goods and property sold to the "worker class".  It would've lasted longer, however, if it weren't for the "Red Scare" of the times.  Alarmed at the presence of a nearby Communist nation, the United States and Canada launched a cooperative military adventure into the Mechonian state, overthrowing the government in four days.  Shortly thereafter a pro-Canadian government was established, having it's loyalties more to Ottawa than to the people of the nation.

With the 1920's and general prosperity, the new pro-Canada government was successful at first.  Headed by a Liberal Government that supported aims such as free trade, low taxation, austerity, and other capitalistic ideas, the government saw some business and urban growth along the coastal areas.  At the same time, several towns inland ascended to city status, reaching populations of more than 10,000 people.  Technological and medical advancement dramatically improved the quality of life in the harsh extremes of the mountainous regions, seeing a multiplication of the previous population.  However, the tidal wave of unchecked speculation and the impending stock exchange crashes late in the decade, would end the prosperity.  With unemployment at nearly 30%, thousands of people marched on the capital in Velgrad (located inland).  The governing authorities, surrounded, surrendered peaceably.

The Second Republic of Mechonia, as it is commonly labeled, was founded as a social democratic state with an emphasis on a strong social safety net, a Labor Bill of Rights, and full employment.  Capitalist establishments and institutions, however, were still respected.  However, caps on income were put in place, with taxes set to prevent anyone earning more than $1 million in income.  However, business investment in the country dramatically decreased and many wealthy and middle classed individuals ended up leaving the country.  Forever.  As a result, a significant amount of the tax base would disappear, leading to a fiscal and hyperinflation crisis in 1955 that would end the government.

A state of anarchy would ensue shortly afterward that lasted from August 1955 until September of the next year.  In September of 1956, the final and current incarnation of the Mechonian state would emerge.

The Common States of Mechonia were established on September 8th, 1956.  Harkening back to the good ole days, the new nation was founded on common ownership of all land and reinstating the Georgist economic plan.  Universal Labor Rights were enshrined in the new Constitution, as well as the renewal of the ban on corporations.  Traditional Mechonian beliefs, like civil liberties and freedom of religion, were restored.  Single Payer Healthcare, universal education, and a nationwide railway system were fully established.

Next Update: Society in Mechonia

[Mechaman]

Well, I guess I better make my country more clear before it starts to sound like the rest of the "left wing utopia" stuff on here:

Society:

Mechonian society is mostly laid back lower class proletariat.  Due to laws against corporations and excessive wealth, the upper class is largely non-existent outside of some business buildings in the capital Zelgrad and in Neimanheim (the largest city, with a population of 107,920).  Though industrial jobs and the like have been a big party of it's history, most Mechonians prefer to live in the small towns of the country and tend to avoid the larger urban areas.  Most of the country's cities, towns, and villages are located along the western coast, due to favorable clime though modern technology is making living in the previously inhospitable "inland" zone a reality.  Though 95% of the population is above the standard of living, it should be noted that the standard of living in Mechonia is considerably lower than many other "western" nations.  Half of the country don't even have climate control in their homes and three quarters of the residents don't have television.  Utilities are government owned.  There are public broadcast channels, but network television (for those who own tvs) is available and there is no government censorship board.  Automobile ownership is common amongst farmers, but not much else (20% of the country probably has cars).
Which isn't to say that Mechonians are entirely traditionalists.  There is a considerable degree of religiousity in the country, with considerable degree of Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Lutheran, and Orthodox Jewish residents.  However, there are also a large number of "spiritualist" religiousness in the nation, with the popularity of neo-paganism getting larger amongst the population.  There is a degree of atheism, about 16% of the population, but nothing to write home about.  In fact Atheism has gone down drastically over the past few decades, having been at a high of 34% in 1956.  Much of this decrease, again, has to do with the spread and influence of spiritualist and neo-pagan theology that is getting more popular with younger Mechonians.  As well, church attendance is the highest it's been since the 1920's.  The Mechonian government has no legal definition on marriage, meaning that "marriage" in the country can be anything from heterosexual to homosexual to polygamous.  However, Mechonian society isn't exactly Co-Exist on the LGBT community, especially in some of the communities with high numbers of Orthodox residents.  And despite it's reputation as a generally social democratic nation, racism is quite common in society.  Legally, there is equality and discrimination is illegal in many professions, however many white Mechonians are suspicious of the recent wave of non-white minorities moving into the cities.  Many residents are open minded about Oriental philosophies such as Buddhism, but are distrustful of the few Islamic residents in the urban areas.  There are some outside "Native" populations (mostly Inuit) that are also settled in the area that generally (in modern times) co-exist peacefully with whites.
Alcohol and marijuana usage have very high rates amongst the population, with Mechonia having some of the most liberal laws on the planet.  The country's alcohol industry is one of the largest per GDP on the planet, with coastal vineyards making up 14.8% of GDP and the brewery industry making up 11.8%.  That is over a quarter of the country's Gross Domestic Product coming solely from Alcohol!

Total Population: 2,104,982

Racial Demographics:
White: 83.92%
Native: 6.82%
Asian: 6.4%
Others: 2.86%

Unemployment: 1.2%
Per Capita GDP: $19,290 a Year
Average Life Expectancy: 61 Years
Top Industry: Vineyards (14.8% of GDP)

[Mechaman]

Religion in Mechonia:

Eastern Orthodox Church: 27%
Roman Catholic Church: 23%
International Paganist Association: 18%
Atheist: 13%
Jewish: 8.9%
Ohter: 11.1%

Languages: No official language, but most people speak English.  There are also a number of Russian speaking neighborhoods/communities (20% of population) and Gaeltacht (Gaelic speaking areas, roughly 8% of total pop).

Political Parties:

Social Democratic Party: Economically left wing party that has been dominant for most of modern Mechonian history.  Has a lot of strength amongst Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Jewish blue collars and young professionals.  Pretty much, the party of the majority.  Also strong amongst first generation non-whites.  Although generally assocatied as the left wing in the nation, has a broad tent on social issues ranging from super liberal professionals to reactionary laborers.  Represents roughly 56% of Parliament.

Spiritualist Party: A "libertarian left" wing party that bases a lot of it's philosopy out of "naturalist" political doctrine.  Supports strong degree of civil libertarianism that includes getting rid of Marijuana taxes, opposition to "authoritarian leftism" of the Social Democrats, and stronger environmental protections.  Strong amongst Neo-Paganists, Spiritualist groups, Buddhists, and some Atheists.  Represents roughly 1.5% of Parliament.

The Values Party: Socially conservative economically populist party.  Real popular amongst highly religious voters and Asian immigrants.  Supports efforts to ban abortion, put in a Constitutional Amendment defining marriage, and support for more universal education funding.  Represents roughly 4% of Parliament.

Liberal Party: The mainstream right wing party.  In general opposes the expanse of Mechonian government and keeping the government out of people's lives.  Fiscally conservative and socially libertarian is probably the best way to describe it.  Popular amongst the middle and upper classes and conservative Paganists.  Represents roughly 30% of Parliament.

Coalition for Reform: The other right wing party.  Believes that immigration quotas need to be brought back to curtail the impact of new immigrants that drown out jobs for the Mechonian worker.  Believes that Mechonia needs to return back to a heavy protectionist policy, cut back on government spending, and increase pay for law and order.  Odd bedfellows with the Liberal Party, which is much more libertarian in general.  Attracts the obvious suspects.  Represents roughly 9.5% of Parliament.

Government Set up: A National one house chamber Parliamentary set up in Zelgrad.  Voters in the country elect the Justices to the country's court every seven years.  There is no President or equivalent national leader, rather the Prime Minister operates as de facto "head of state" in regards to state functions.  However, outside of leadership role in the chamber, Prime Minister doesn't have any extraordinary powers.  Mechonia follows a very non-interventionist foreign policy with it's Constitution mandating that the armed forces never exceed 10,000 people (not gender specific).  Martial law is illegal and any person who tries to implement it is punished most severely (exile, though there are a lot of people who would consider than anything but punishment).  Mechonians generally are in favor of expanding relations with other nations and the government has a running policy of having fully open relations with every nation (regardless of controversies), given the Mechonian tradition of spreading "love, not war".  This has gotten the Mechonia government in trouble with other Social Democratic leaning states, who assert that the government is setting a dangerous model by not instituting punitive measures towards nations with bad civil rights records.  Given that racism isn't exactly a rare part of the culture, with several race riots just last year between Russian and Iranian groups in Zelgrad (the nation's capital no less!), the criticism seems damning of the nation's inexperience/inability to address the issue.

Crime and Punishment: The Death Penalty is banned in Mechonia.  Instead of traditional jail sentences, criminals in Mechonia are usually sent through a "reform" program that emphasizes community service and crafting the inmates to become better, nicer, and more productive members of society.  Living conditions in these prisons are par on average for most Mechonians, if not a little better (given that a lot of Mechonians don't even believe in electricity in the home).  Psychologists, gym instructors, and various other officials are brought in to help the prisoners as well.  The highest prison sentence one can receive is 10 years with the possibility of parole.  However, for crimes deemed so severe that reform is nigh impossible, the person is "exiled" out of the country (a hold over from the Communist days).  Many have called for reform on this front, calling "exile" the "most barbaric punishment in the western world, even more so than capital punishment."
However, this hasn't done much to decrease crime in Mechonia.  In fact, crime is sort of a way of life in some areas, particularly in blue collar areas.  The Irish Mob in Mechonia is almost as old as the nation itself, having hubris in the urban areas along the coast and having a hand in political corruption.  The ties between organized crime and political machinery (mostly Social Democratic) are damning and the efforts of reformists usually fall on deaf ears.  Recently, the Russian Mob has risen as a powerful criminal force, with it's own influence in the business world, military, sports, and other activities (namely the casino industry).  Though not as bad as some nations (United Stateslol), the crime rate is disturbingly high compared to other "western" nations.

Civil Rights and Liberties: True to form, the Mechonian government has become infamous for it's lack of addressing controversial social issues.  Neither do the regional governments.  In the words of one Pro-life advocate: "Where, in all of the constitutions, both federal and local, is there anything stating the legality of abortion!?  NOWHERE!"  The early incarnations of Mechonia did pass progressive reforms such as universal suffrage. . . . but later on (probably too busy with all the government failures and revolutions) the Civil Rights issues faced in many modern countries were almost completely ignored in Mechonia.  Many speculate that the relative racial conformity of the time (Mechonia was 93% white in the 1960's, compared to 83% today) the people just didn't see any issue with it, figuring that denying minorities the rights to sit in mostly white bars was bad business sense.  However, recent decades have shown that ethnic hostilities between white communities and non-whites is more pronounced than anyone cared to admit.  The persistence of race riots is clear testament to that as well as the spread of Islamophobia as a reaction against increased Middle Eastern immigration.  These groups face employment and housing discrimination that rivals LGBT individuals in the United States!  A good number of whites in Mechonia also blame recent immigrants for the spikes in crime, though crime has always been a part of society with organized crime syndicates (mostly Irish, though Russian groups have challenged the status quo in recent decades) being as old as the nation itself.  While many claim that the absence of these issues does guarantee de facto rights, many others claim that the absence of these issues in the books effectively enables the denial of these rights.
However lacking the nation may be in addressing abortion, Civil Rights, and LGBT rights, the Constitution does make strong provisions for civil liberties (well, besides the civil liberty to go eat at whitie's bar, but I digress).  Interrogation rooms are required by law to have video cameras and audio recorders in them.  Censorship is illegal, per the Constitution.  The Constitution requires that any official that approves of extra judicial killings be exiled from the country, forever.  Abusive police tactics lose one their badge.  Gun ownership is explicitly protected in the Constitution, given Mechonia's tradition as a society of hunters (and revolutionaries, lol).  The Constitution explicitly requires that the citizens "overthrow" any government that spies on it's citizens without warrants.  Considering Mechonia's passionate zeal for defending "Civil Liberties", many find it's approach on Civil and Gay Rights abysmal and drastically in need of reform.

Energy:

Most of Mechonia's energy needs are provided by a combination of renewable energy resources.  There are several nuclear power facilities, located a distance from local populace, mostly in the inland areas.  Wind power is very plentiful, but is regulated to prevent people from getting "eyesores" from seeing them everywhere.  There are a couple of hydroelectric dams (on the rivers) and geothermal power plants as well.  There is still a coal industry, given the need for jobs inland, but the extraction and usage of it has declined significantly.  Mechonia's last coal power plant was closed on January 8th, 1996.  Now days, coal is sold in public markets for personal home usage (mainly cooking and heating).  Given that a lot of Mechonians don't have basic electricity (a lot of which was conscious choice), energy demands are lower than other developed nations.  Many people (whom the upper classes mockingly called "cheapskates") prefer to live in non-powered households and then go into town to use public libraries (which have modern information technology such as computers), community centers, bathing houses (gender neutral, these people aren't shy), public gyms (gyms funded by the government), and other general public use places.  Most localities have these basic services, though the size of those vary according to locality.

[Mechaman]

Fantasizing about an idealized society is for Marxists and libertarians, and I am neither. There is no ideal society; there is only the society that we have now, and what matters is what can be done to improve that society.

On the other hand, Hashemite's country does seem ideal.

lol, my country is far from ideal.  In fact, I'm pretty sure I went out of my way to show the negative consequences of utopia.

But otherwise, yeah I agree.  Hashemite's country does seem by far the best.