Vrachiapolis

Vrachiapolis, officially the Republic of Vrachiapolis, is a sovereign island country and city-state in southeastern Europe. It lies off the north-western coast of the island of Cyprus, bordering the Republic of Cyprus to the north and the Mediterranean Sea to the west, south and east. The country's territory is composed of one main island, several satellite islands and islets, and one outlying islet, the combined area of which has increased since the country's independence as a result of extensive land reclamation projects. With a multicultural population and recognising the need to respect cultural identities of the major ethnic groups within the nation, Vrachiapolis has three official languages: English, Greek, and Turkish, and recognises minority languages such as Romanian and Cypriot Arabic. Although English is the lingua franca, numerous public services are required by law to be available in all official and recognised languages. Multiracialism, egalitarianism and multiculturalism are enshrined in the constitution and continues to shape national policies in education, housing, and politics.

Vrachiapolis is a unitary parliamentary republic with a Westminster system of unicameral parliamentary government, and its legal system is based on common law. Although the country is a multi-party democracy with free elections, the government under the Peace & Prosperity Party (PPP) wields significant control and dominance over politics and society. The PPP has been the dominant party in Vrachiapolis since full internal self-government was achieved in 1971, with 80 out of 150 seats in Parliament as of the 2020 election, the rest of the seats being held by the National Party (NP), the Socialist Party (SP) and the Worker's Party (WP).

Vrachiapolis is a founding member of the, but has rejected Eurozone membership. Although not a member or observer, it cooperates with. It is also a member of the, the , the , the , the (OECD) and the.

Name and etymology
The name Vrachiapolis is an anglicisation of the Greek name for the city, Βραχιάπολη (Vrachiápoli), which roughly means "city on the rocks", which referred to the rocky cliffs around the original settlement.

Independence
At midnight on August 15, 1974, Vrachiapolis declared independence from Cypriot and British control. President Fahir Hamzaoglu announced that Vrachiapolis would be "an equal place", free of the inter-communal fighting between Greeks and Turks that was happening in Cyprus at the time. Fahir assigned Sakis Karahalios as Prime Minister, and the country set forth policies that supported multiracialism, multiculturalism and egalitarianism.

In 1979, Baha Çakmak won the country's first presidential election as an independent state. Çakmak's emphasis on economic growth, egalitarianism and support of business entrepreneurship shaped the country's policies for the next decade. Under his tenure, the country's service and tourism industries grew, two new airports were built and the country became a founding member of the European Union. The Port of Vrachiapolis became one of the world's busiest ports, while Vrachiapolis Ikopola Airport became one of the world's busiest airports.

Aytek Demirören became the country's third president on September 2, 2000. Baha Çakmak died on November 15, 2000 from heart failure, and a weeklong mourning period was declared. Under Demirören and Prime Minister Paris Chatzimichalis' tenure, the country underwent a period of extensive economical development, including the construction of three integrated resorts (IRs) – Disneyland Vrachiapolis Resort, MGM Vrachiapolis and Mediterranean Kingdom Akanal.

Government and politics
Vrachiapolis is a parliamentary republic based on the Westminster system. The Constitution of Vrachiapolis is the supreme law of the country, establishing the structure and responsibility of governance. The President is head of state and exercises many executive powers on the advice of the Cabinet with some exceptions including the appointment of the Prime Minister and the withholding of consent to a request for a dissolution of Parliament. The Prime Minister is head of government and is appointed by the President from among the Members of Parliament. The Cabinet consists of the Prime Minister and such other Ministers as appointed by the President, acting in accordance with the advice of the Prime Minister.

Members of Parliament (MPs) are elected by FPTP every five years, or sooner in the case of a snap election. The current Parliament has 150 members, 142 are directly elected from 65 constituencies and 8 are non-constituency members from opposition parties who were not elected in the last general election but appointed to the legislature to increase opposition party representation.

The Peace & Prosperity Party (PPP) has a dominant position in Vrachiapolian politics. They have won parliamentary majorities in every election since 1974, and sizable majorities in all but two elections (2000, 2020).

Administrative divisions
Vrachiapolis consists of 9 administrative divisions.

Economy
Vrachiapolis has a highly developed market economy.

The Vrachiapolian economy is regarded as free, innovative, dynamic and business-friendly. For several years, Vrachiapolis has been one of the few countries with an AAA credit rating from the big three. Vrachiapolis attracts a large amount of foreign investment due to its location, skilled workforce, low tax rates, advanced infrastructure and zero-tolerance against corruption.

Tourism
Tourism is a major industry and contributor to the Vrachiapolian economy. Vrachiapolis is the sixth-most visited city in the world, and third-most in Europe.

Well-known landmarks include the Lion of the Rock, Central Gardens, Dream Ikopola Airport, MGM Vrachiapolis, the Vrachiapolian National Gallery, the Mediterranean Eye, the resort islands of Iremia and Akanal, the Mediterranean Promenade shopping and entertainment district, and Denis Forest.

The Tourism Authority of Vrachiapolis (TAV) is the statutory board under the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Tourism which is tasked with the promotion of the country's tourism industry. The TAV and the Economic Development Board organize the Vibrant Vrachiapolis and Make in Vrachiapolis campaigns, which market Vrachiapolis internationally for tourism, business and manufacturing opportunities. The Mediterranean Promenade district, which is considered the centre of shopping and tourism in Vrachiapolis, contains a number of multi-storey shopping centres, entertainment venues and hotels. Other popular tourist attractions include the Vrachiapolis Zoo and Aquatic Life Park. Vrachiapolis promotes itself as a LGBT tourism hub, citing its nightlife scene and progressive view of the LGBT community.

Transport
Vrachiapolis has a large road system. As with most Commonwealth countries, vehicles on the road and people walking on the streets keep to the left (left-hand traffic).

Common alternatives to private vehicles include bicycles, bus, taxis and train (VRT or VLR). Two companies run the train transport system—VBC Transit and VMTS Corporation. A third company operates rail freight services—VMTS Freight. Five companies are contracted to run the bus system—VBC Transit, VMTS Corporation, New Transit, First Bus and TaxidiBus—each company operates a specific route. There are multiple taxi companies.

Vrachiapolis is a major international transport hub in Europe, serving some of the busiest sea and air trade routes. The country has two international airports, Ikopola Airport and Pantelaides Airport. Both airports are considered major aviation centres for southeastern Europe. The country maintains two flag carriers, Vrachiapolis Airlines based at Ikopola Airport and Esinti Airlines based at Pantelaides Airport.

The Inter-Mediterranean Causeway, linking Vrachiapolis with, , is the second-busiest international land border crossing in the world.

Media

 * See also: Telecommunications in Vrachiapolis, List of radio stations in Vrachiapolis, List of television stations in Vrachiapolis

Media in Vrachiapolis includes companies linked to the government and privately-run companies. The major television companies are CommuniCorp, Four Media and RTL Vrachiapolis.

In 2018, there were an estimated 4.0 million internet users in Vrachiapolis. The government does not engage in widespread censoring of the internet, but has blocked some sites that it deems "unacceptable for Vrachiapolian society—including content that is harmful, hateful or otherwise unfriendly."