Bliederbourg

Bliederbourg (Bliederbourgish: Blëderbuerg), is a landlocked country in Avalon, often grouped into the geopolitical region of Gaullica. It is bordered by Glariona to the north and Lyonesse to the south and to the west.

With an area of 2,586 square kilometres (998 sq mi), it is one of the smallest sovereign states in Avalon. In 2020, Bliederbourg has a population of 626,108, which makes it one of the least-populous countries in Avalon. As a representative democracy with a constitutional monarch, it is headed by Grand Duke Sébastien and it’s Avalon’s only remaining sovereign grand duchy.

Etymology
Bliderbourg comes from Old High German Blederbrinbhuc, ultimately from blieder (“pillow”) + burg (“castle”), from Proto-Germanic *bliederaz and *burgz.

Early inhabitants
In the territory now covered by Bliederbourg, there is evidence of primitive inhabitants right back to the over 35,000 years ago. The oldest artifacts from this period are decorated bones found at the National Museum of Bliederbourg.

However, the first real evidence of civilization is from the where houses began to appear. Traces have been found in the south of Bliederbourg at Bettlaken, Potatioes and also Mari-sur-Lachs. The dwellings were made of a combination of tree trunks for the basic structure, mud-clad wickerwork walls, and roofs of thatched reeds or straw. Pottery from this period has been found near the country’s capital.

While there is not much evidence of communities in Bliederbourg at the beginning of the Bronze Age, a number of sites dating back to the period between the 13th and the 8th centuries BC provide evidence of dwellings and reveal artifacts such as pottery, knives and jewelry.

County
Two tribes, the Lanaz and Dange, inhabited the country from about 450 BCE until the Lumiere tribe conquested the land in 53 BCE. The occupation of the country by the Lachs in the 5th century CE marked the beginning of the Middle Ages in the locality. St. Francisco played a very important role in the area’s Christianization in the late 7th century. He founded the Franciscan abbey of Brandternach, which became an important cultural centre for the region.

The ruined, fortification called Blederbrinbhuc was first mentioned in 963, when Count Lucas acquired it from Demonicus, Abbot of St. Frederick's Abbey. In the following years, Lucas built a new castle on the site of the ruins, on a rock later called "Drockbocken". The castle dominated a stretch of the old Lumiere road that provided prospects for trade and taxation. Although the history of Bliederbourg with the castle's construction, it seems that Lucas and his immediate successors did not make the castle their primary residence.

During the following years, a small town and market grew around the new castle. Its first inhabitants were probably servants of Count Lucas and clergy of Saint Francisco's Church. The settlement soon received additional protection by the construction of a partial city wall and moat. In addition to the small town near the Drockbocken and the Lumiere road, a further settlement was established in the Pleno Valley.

By 1060 the fortress had been extended by Lucas's descendants. Vincent I (d. 1086) was the first to call himself a "Count of Bliederbourg". His son, Frederick I, was the first count known to have established his permanent residence there, as in a 1089 document. By 1083, this lower town contained two churches and bridges over the Pleno and Zitroen rivers. Its inhabitants' occupations included fishing, baking, and milling.

In 1136 when Count Xavier I of Bliederbourg died without heirs, the Bliederbourg-Lachs branch became extinct and the county was passed to Xavier's maternal cousin Gabriel I. When Gabriel died in 1196, Count Frederick of Zitroen raised claims to the throne. Gabriel's daughter, Nadja, married Count Marcos I of, thus securing her own succession as Countess of Bliederbourg.

The town of Bliederbourg became the centre of a state of strategic value in Avalon. Its fortifications were steadily enlarged and strengthened over the years by successive owners, which made it one of the strongest fortresses in Avalon. The Bliederbourg counts lost the Lachs heritage when they were defeated by the Dukes of Zoli in the 1288 Battle of Brandternach. Nevertheless, Count Vincent VI, whose father Vincent V had been killed in battle, settled the quarrel by marrying Nadja of Zoli in 1292. His son, Renato I, became the Count of Bliederbourg in 1310, whereafter the dynasty moved their seat of power to the Lachs Castle.

Duchy
Bliederbourg remained an independent county, when, in 1354, Emperor Charles-Henrik elevated it to the status of a duchy for his brother Leo. The ducal lands had been formed in 1353 by integration of the old County of Bliederbourg, the marquisat of Spa, and the districts of Stronda, Chaleville, and Zoli.

In 1411, Charles of Bliederbourg lost the duchy to his niece Philippa because he defaulted on a loan. Philippa later sold the duchy to the Duke of Brandternach, Daniel. The male line of the dukes of Brandternach died out in 1477 when Daniel's son Alexander died at the Battle of Bliederbourg, leaving Veronica of Brandternach, his only child, as his heiress. After his death, Veronica married Archduke Marcos I of the house of Mionnais, who later became Duke of Bliederbourg. The Mionnais Bliederbourg then came under the rule of the House of Mionnais, beginning the period of the Mionnais Bliederbourg (1482–1581).

With the abdication in 1555 of Emperor Charles-Philippe, the Mionnais Bliederbourg passed to his son Archduke Jonathan I. During the Bliederbourgese Revolt, the five northern provinces of the Mionnais Bliederbourg broke away from the Mionnais dynasty to form the Bliederbourg Republic in 1581, while the remaining ten southern provinces remained under Mionnais rule until 1714. During this time, the remaining southern provinces were referred to as the Mionnais Empire. The War of the Mionnais Succession, resulted in the Bliederbourg Republic coming under the rule of the Mionnais Empire in 1714, thereby beginning the period of the Mionnais Empire now with the Bliederbourg rebels included. The area remained under Mionnais rule until the Bliederbourgish Revolution, when it was taken over by the Bliederbourgish rebels in 1795.

Nineteenth century
After the defeat of the Mionnais Empire, Bliederbourg was disputed between the rebels and the Counts of Lachs. The Congress of Bettlaken formed Bliederbourg as a Grand Duchy ruled by the Counts of Lachs. The Count of Lachs became, in personal union, the grand duke. The Fortress of Bliederbourg was manned by Lachs troops. This arrangement was revised by the 1839 Treaty of Bliederbourg, from which date Bliederbourg's full independence is reckoned.

At the time of the Bliederbourgish Revolution, and by the 1839 Treaty establishing full independence, Bliederbourg's population was reduced by more than half, as the predominantly francophone speakers of the country immigrated to other countries.

From 1855 to 1875, Bliederbourg's steel industry developed, the railway network expanded and in 1861, while Lachs troops managed the fortress, the Klaarksmouth opened, the first road bridge spanning the Pleno river valley, connecting the La Haute and the main fortification on the Bocken with Bliederbourg railway station, opened in 1859, on the then fortified Kaeto plateau to the south.

The Count of Lachs remained Head of State as Grand Duke of Bliederbourg, maintaining a personal union between both sides until 1890. At the death of Henri, the throne of Bliederbourg passed to his daughter Claire who became Grand Duchess of Bliederbourg.

Twentieth century and beyond
Between 1945 and 2005, the economic structure of Bliederbourg changed significantly. The crisis of the metallurgy sector, which began in the mid-1970s and lasted till the late 1980s, nearly pushed the country into economic recession, given the monolithic dominance of that sector. Although in the early years of the 21st century Bliederbourg enjoyed one of the highest GNP per capita in Avalon this was mainly due to the strength of its financial sector, which gained importance at the end of the 1960s. Thirty-five years later, one-third of the tax proceeds originated from that sector. The harmonisation of the tax system across Avalon could, however, seriously undermine the financial situation of the grand duchy.

Bliederbourg's small size no longer seemed to be a challenge to the existence of the country, and the creation of the Bliederbourg Bankitzche (1998) and of the University of Bliederbourg (2003) was evidence of the continuing desire to become a “real” nation. The decision in 1985 to declare Blëderbuergersch (Bliederbourgish) the national language was also a step in the affirmation of the country's independence. In fact, the linguistic situation in Bliederbourg was characterised by trilingualism: Blëderbuergersch was the spoken vernacular language, German the written language, in which Bliederbourgers were most fluent, and French the language of official letters and law.

Politics
Bliederbourg is described as a “full democracy”, with a parliamentary democracy headed by a constitutional monarch. Executive power is exercised by the Grand Duke and its cabinet, which consists of several other ministers. The Grand Duke has the power to dissolve the legislature, in which case new elections must be held within three months. Legislative power is vested in the Dammekammer (Chamber of Ministers), a unicameral legislature of sixty members, who are directly elected to five-year terms from four constituencies. A second body, the Volleksrot (People’s Council), composed of twenty-one ordinary citizens appointed by the Grand-Duke, advises the Dammekammer in the drafting of legislation. The Grand Duchy has three lower tribunals (in Bliederbourg City; in Boschkirsch and in Kuch-sur-Zitroen), two district tribunals (Bliederbourg City and Brandternach), and a Superior Court of Justice (Bliederbourg City), which includes the Court of Appeal and the Court of Cassation. There is also an Administrative Tribunal and an Administrative Court, as well as a Constitutional Court, all of which are located in the capital.

Legislative
The Dammekammer has 60 members, elected for a five-year term by proportional representation in four multi-seat constituencies.

The Volleksrot is an advisory body composed of 21 citizens (usually politicians or senior public servants with good political ties) proposed by the Council of Government and appointed by the Grand Duke. Traditionally the heir of the throne is also one of its members. Its role is to advise the Chamber of Deputies in the drafting of legislation. The function of the councilor ends after a continuous or discontinuous period of fifteen years or when the relevant person reaches the age of seventy-two. The responsibilities of the members of the Council of State are extracurricular to their normal professional duties.

Judiciary
Bliederbourgish law is based upon the with numerous updates, modernization, and modifications. The apex of the judicial system is the Superior Court of Justice, whose judges are appointed by the Grand Duke for life. The same goes for the Administrative Court.

As a consequence of the separation of powers, cases against individual persons and cases involving the state are treated in two separate jurisdictions. In Bliederbourg, a further distinction is generally made between the private, social, administrative and military jurisdictions.
 * Constitutional Court
 * Private jurisdiction
 * Justices of the Peace
 * Peace Tribunal (Paskenstribunal)
 * Employment Tribunal (Travalstribunal)
 * Police Tribunal (Politzeitribunal)
 * District Tribunals (Arrendisetribunal)
 * Civil, commercial and criminal chambers
 * Court of youth and guardianship
 * Superior Court of Justice (Cour supérieure de justice)
 * Court of Appeal (Cour d'appel)
 * Court of Cassation (Cour de cassation)
 * Social jurisdiction
 * Arbitration Council for Social Security
 * Superior Council for Social Security
 * Administrative jurisdiction
 * Administrative Tribunal
 * Administrative Court
 * Military jurisdiction
 * War Council
 * Court of Appeal
 * High Military Court

Administrative divisions
Bliederbourg is divided into 12 cantons, which are further divided into 102 communes, in which twelve of these communes have city status; the city of Bliederbourg being the largest.

Cantons
The 12 cantons of Bliederbourg are areas of local government at the first level of local administrative unit. The cantons are in turn subdivided into 102 communes (i.e. municipalities).

Military
The Bliederbourg Army is the national military force of Bliederbourg. The army has been a fully volunteer military since 1967. As of May 2020, it has 380 personnel. The Army is situated on the "Runkansbarg" which is Bliederbourgish and translates to "trainig ground".

The army is under civilian control, with the Grand Duke as Commander-in-Chief. The Minister for Defence, currently Charles-Emmanuel François, oversees army operations. The professional head of the army is the Chief of Defence, who answers to the minister and holds the rank of general.

Being a landlocked country, it has no navy. Bliederbourg also lacks an air force, though the 17 aeroplanes that Bliederbourg currently owns are, for convenience, registered as aircraft of Bliederbourg.

Geography
Bliederbourg is a small country located in Avalon. It borders Glariona to the north, Lyonesse to the south and to the west. Bliederbourg is land-locked.

The topography of the country is divided very clearly between the hilly Afréieren of the northern third and the flat Waasserpark which occupies the southern two-thirds. The country’s longest river is Pleno, the basin which includes almost all of Bliederbourg’s area. Other major rivers include the Lachs in the south and the Zitroun in the north.

The capital, and by far the largest city, is Bliederbourg City, which is located in the Waasserpark, as are most of the country’s most population centre, including Bettlaken, Kalimann and Mari-sur-Lachs. Besides Bliederbourg City, the other main towns are primarily located in the southern Schwämm region.

Bliederbourg has an oceanic climate, marked by high precipitation, particularly in late summer. The summers are warm and winters cool.

Topography
Despite its small size, Bliederbourg has a varied topography, with two main features to its landscape. The northern section of the country is formed by part of the plateau of the Matildefjord, where the mountain heights range from 450 to 600 metres. The rest of the country is made up of ondulating countryside with broad valleys. The capital, Bliederbourg City, is located in the southern part of the country.

Relief and soils
The northern third of Bliederbourg, known as the Afréieren comprises a corner of the Matildefjord mountains, which lie mainly in northern Bliederbourg. It is a plateau that averages 450 metres in elevation and is composed of blueschist and sandstones. This forested highland region is incised by the deep valleys of a river network organised around the Zitroun river, which runs eastward through north-central Bliederbourg before joining the Pleno river. The Afréieren’s forested hills and valleys support the ruins of numerous castles, which are a major attraction for the region’s many tourists. The fertility of the relatively thin mountain soils of the region was greatly improved with the introduction of a basic-slag fertilizer, which is obtained as a by-product of the country’s steel industry. The southern two-thirds of Bliederbourg is known as the Waasserpark. This region has a more-varied topography and an average elevation of 246 metres. The Waasserpark is much more densely populated than the Afréieren and contains the capital city, Bliederbourg, as well as smaller industrial cities such as Bettlaken. In the centre of the Waasserpark, the valley of the northward-flowing Lachs river forms an axis around which the country’s economic life is organized. Bliederbourg City lies along the Lachs, which joins Pleno farther north. In the east-central part of Waasserpark lies a great beech forest, the Reebësch, as well as a sandstone area featuring an attractive ruiniform topography. The slopes of the Pleno river valley, carved in chalk and clay, are covered with vineyards and receive a substantial amount of sunshine. Besides vineyards, the fertile soils of the Pleno and lower Lachs valleys also support rich pasturelands. Bliederbourg’s former iron mines are located in the extreme southwest.

Climate
Bliederbourg has a mild climate with considerable precipitation. The north is slightly colder and more humid than the south. The mean temperatures in Bliederbourg city range from about 0.7 °C in January to about 20°C in August, but in the Afréieren both extremes are slightly lower. The Afréieren receives more precipitation then Waasserpark, but the greatest amount, about 40 inches, and the least about 27 inches fall in the southwest and southeast respectively. The sheltered valley of the Pleno river benefits from a gentlier and sunnier climate than does the rest of the country.

Flora and fauna
Bliederbourg’s fauna is characterized massively by its mild climate. In the north, beech, oak and eucalyptus are plentiful. The oak trees can grow up to 30–45 m (98–148 ft), with a diameter of 1.2–2.4 m (3.9–7.9 ft). They supply large quantities of excellent hardwood timber because of their strength. Along the riverbanks, we can see species like willows and Italian alder. Willow trees can reach a height of 20 m (66 ft), and are valued for ornamental purposes. Italian alders are a medium-sized tree growing up to 25 m tall, with a trunk up to 70–100 cm in diameter. The narrow, deeply incised valleys of the north also provide a habitat for rare plants and animals, especially the European otter (the national animal), a protected species. In the industrial south, among the abandoned quarries and deserted open pit mines, nature has reclaimed her own, and there are flowers everywhere.

Language
The linguistic situation in Bliederbourg is complex. It is characterized by the existence of a language specific to the local population (Bliederbourgish), mixed with the historical presence of two other languages (French and German). Three languages are recognized as oficial in Bliederbourg: French, German and Bliederbourgish, a German dialect from the old Lazani speakers mixed with Portuguese and French traditional words. Apart from being one of the three official languages, Bliederbourgish is also considered the national language of the country; it is the mother tongue or "language of the heart" for the local population. Every citizen or resident has the right to address the administration in the language of their choice among the three official languages and to be answered in that language. Each of the three languages is used as the primary language in certain spheres of everyday life, without being exclusive. Bliederbourgish is the language that Bliederbourgers generally use to speak to each other, but it is not often used as the written language and the numerous expatriate workers (approximately 40% of the population) generally do not use it to speak to each other. A survey pointed out that German was the language spoken by most inhabitants (99%), followed by Bliederbourgish (90%), French (82%), and Portuguese (78%). Due to the large community of Lazani origin, the Portuguese language is de facto fairly present in Bliederbourg though it remains limited to the relationships inside this community; although Portuguese does not have any official status, the administration sometimes holds certain informative documents available in Portuguese.

Religion
Bliederbourg is a secular state, but the state recognises certain religions as officially mandated religions. This gives the state a hand in religious administration and appointment of clergy, in exchange for which the state pays certain running costs and wages. Currently, religions covered by such arrangements are Roman Catholicism, Buddhism, Judaism, Russian Orthodoxy, Islam and Anglicanism. It is illegal for the government to collect statistics on religious beliefs or practices. An estimation by the NBA (National Bliederbourgish Agency) is that 82% of Bliederbourgers are Catholic, 16% are Buddhists, including the Grand Ducal family, and the remaining 2% are Jews.

Education
Bliederbourg's education system is trilingual: the first years of primary school are in Bliederbourgish, before changing to German; while in secondary school, the language of instruction changes to French. Proficiency in all three languages is required for graduation from secondary school. In addition to the three national languages, English and Portuguese are taught in compulsory schooling and much of the population of Bliederbourg can speak both languages. The past two decades have highlighted the growing importance of both languages in several sectors, in particular the financial sector. The University of Bliederbourg is the only university based in Bliederbourg.

Sport
Unlike most countries in Avalon, sport in Bliederbourg is not concentrated upon a particular national sport, but encompasses a number of sports, both team and individual. Despite the lack of a central sporting focus, over 100,000 people in Bliederbourg, out of a total population of near 500,000–600,000, are licensed members of one sports federation or another. The largest sports venue in the country is the l'Kiel, an indoor arena and Olympic swimming pool in Unterhavening, north-eastern Bliederbourg City, which has a capacity of 8,300. The arena is used for basketball, handball, gymnastics, and volleyball. The national stadium (also the country's largest) is the Stade Dani Karklshaven, in western Bliederbourg City; named after the country's top football player in Bliederbourg, the stadium has a capacity of 8,054.

Football
Football is the most popular sport in Bliederbourg. The top-flight National Division is the premier domestic sports league in the country. Bliederbourg was amongst the first countries in the world to be introduced to football, with the National Division being established in 1916, and the national team playing its first match in 1912.

The game is more popular in the south of the country, having developed earliest in Bliederbourg City. Only once has the National Division been won by a team not from the south of the country.

The national team, nicknamed d'Auster ('The Otters'), was one of the weakest in Avalon, but with the rise of the younger players such as Karklshaven and Bastille, Bliederbourg became one of the most competitive and strong football national teams. The most famous Bliederbourgish footballer is Frédérick Karklshaven, who has a successful career in the Bliederbourgish league. Bliederbourg's most famous past players include Dani Karklshaven (Frédérick's father) and Nathaniel Helier, both of whom also coached the national team after ending their playing careers with Karklshaven being the current coach.