Valgsland

Valgsland (Valgish: Valgiksna), officially the Democratic Republic of Valgsland (Valgish: Republik Demokratik Valgiksna) is a in. A constitutionally federalist,, it is the one of the three republican states in Scandinavia, alongside Finland and Iceland. Since the in 1990, Valgsland has shifted into a syndicalist-democratic socialist system and remains the only constitutionally socialist republic in Europe. It shares maritime borders with in the northern coast, and  in the eastern coast.

Valgsland covers an area of 178,342 square kilometers (68,858 sq mi) with a population of 59 million, the most populous in the Nordic region. Margrethe is the capital and largest city, forming a larger metropolitan area with the neighbouring cities of Lissi, Tove, Jannik, and Villads. The vast majority of the population are ethnic Valgs; Valgish, alongside Danish, are the official languages.

Valgsland was part of the unified kingdom of Denmark, which emerged in the eighth century as a proficient maritime power amid the struggle for control of the Baltic Sea. After years of being a Danish territory, Valgsland seceded from the kingdom, declared independence and established the first republic in 1911. Albeit the first republic was strong, the republic's biggest flaws were the wealth inequality, economic and political turmoil which saw many shift towards political extremes in later years.

After years of instability, the country fell into chaos which saw the bloodiest months of the country. In 1948, the communist revolutionaries led by Jannick Sorenson pulled off a successful power seizure and established the Marxist-Leninist one-party state that lasted up until 1989.

During the start of the, Valgsland fell into a civil war between the current communist government and the post-communist syndicalist revolutionaries. After a year, the post-communist syndicalist revolutionaries successfully overthrew the communist government and syndicalist leader Maiken Steensen announced a provisional unity government to be established.

Once the country was stable enough, the current syndicalist constitution was ratified and became effective in 1991, at the same time where the Soviet Union finally collapsed. Valgsland is considered to be the only European country to retain its communist roots, despite abandoning it in 1990 in favour of its current syndicalist system.

Valgsland is a with a high standard of living: the country performs at or near the top in measures of education, health care, civil liberties and LGBT equality. Valgsland is a founding member of the, the , and the ; it is also part of the. Valgsland maintains close political, cultural, and linguistic ties with its Scandinavian neighbours, with the Valgish language being partially mutually intelligible.

Etymology
The name 'Valgsland' comes from the Valgish language Valgiks, which meant warrior. Valgsland means 'Land of the Warriors'.

Prehistory
The earliest archaeological finds in Valgsland date back to the Eem interglacial period from 130,000 to 110,000 BC. Valgsland has been inhabited since around 12,500 BC and agriculture has been evident since 3900 BC.

Valgsland under Denmark and secession
For many years, Valgsland was part of the unified kingdom of Denmark and had history of early Valgslandian secession attempts, which most of them failed. After years of failed secession attempts, Thorvald Rask led the country into a successful, bloodless secession attempt in 1911. Shortly after the successful secession, Valgsland declared independence and Rask was established as the republic's first president. Rask introduced many reforms which aimed the country to be a secular and democratic state that would be governed as a presidential republic.

Later years of the Rask government, Valgslandian Revolution and the first Democratic Republic
The later years of the government of Rask was tainted by political repression, censorship, electoral fraud, economic mismanagement, and antisemitism which led to him being overthrown and then executed by communist revolutionaries in the Valgsland. Jannick Sorenson became the new leader of Valgsland, and formed the National Liberation Committee to firmly establish a Marxist-Leninist socialist state.

In December 1949, the first Democratic Republic was established, and Sorenson became famed for his massive education and science plan that raised his nation to technological supremacy and he replaced the market economy with a command economy which led to a period of rapid industrialization and collectivization in Valgsland. During this period, rapid economic development resulted in dramatic improvements in the average standard of living, particularly in urban areas.

In 1972, Sorenson passed away from old age and was succeeded by his protege Christoffer Steensen. Unlike his mentor, Steensen ruled by an iron fist and decreed a purge on anti-communist protesters. Steensen's purge led to the Valgslandian Civil War.

Valgslandian Civil War, Provisional government and the second Democratic Republic
Steensen's purges led into nationwide revolt, and shortly into a civil war. The first lady of Valgsland, Maiken Steensen, shocked the country by turning on her husband by joining the post-communist syndicalist revolutionaries and eventually became their leader. After a bloody civil war, the communist government was overthrown and Steensen announced a provisional unity government to be established. A Constituent Assembly election was held on the 8th of January 1991 where the Syndicalist Front gained a supramajority to write the new constitution.

The new constitution was ratified in September 1991 and became effective in December 1991, the same time where the Soviet Union finally fell. Steensen began a period of de-Christofferization and enacted many reforms which started a less repressive era in Valgsland. She merged the communist Revolutionary Party with the new Workers' Party and distanced it from Marxist-Leninist lines.

Steensen stepped down as the Prime Minister, and left a legacy where Valgslandian civil rights are one of the strongest in the world and standards of living improving drastically. Steensen was succeeded by Hjalmar Berntsen.

Among the major projects by Berntsen political projects of the early 21st century are the energy transition for a sustainable energy supply, a balanced budget amendment, measures to increase the fertility rate (pronatalism), and high-tech strategies for the transition of the Valgslandian economy. During the 2015 European migrant crisis, the country took in over a million refugees and migrants.

Geography
Located in Northern Europe, Valgsland consists of the island of Valgos. At 178,342 square kilometers (68,858 sq mi), Valgsland is the fourth largest Nordic country, behind Sweden, Norway, and Finland. It is also the densely populated country in the Nordic region, ahead of Denmark.

Climate
Valgsland has a temperate climate, characterised by mild winters, with mean temperatures in January of 1.5 °C (34.7 °F), and cool summers, with a mean temperature in August of 17.2 °C (63.0 °F). The most extreme temperatures recorded in Valgsland, since 1874 when recordings began, was 36.4 °C (97.5 °F) in 1975 and −31.2 °C (−24.2 °F) in 1984.

Politics
The politics of Valgsland are dominated by the syndicalist Workers' Party of Valgsland (AV; Arbejderparti af Valgiksna). The President of Valgsland is the head of state, and the Prime Minister of Valgsland is the head of government, both of these are separate from the First Secretary of the Workers' Party of Valgsland who leads the Workers' Party and is head of the Politburo and the Federal Military Commission, thus the First Secretary is the de facto supreme leader of Valgsland. Executive power is exercised by the government and the President of Valgsland. Legislative power is vested in the People's Parliament of Valgsland (Valgish: Folkets parlament af Valgiksna). The Judiciary is independent of the executive. The parliament adopted the current Syndicalist Principles of the Valgslandian People (Valgish: Syndikalistiske principper for det valgiksnake folk), the official name of the Constitution and the second, on 1 January 2010.

Although Valgsland's elections allows minor parties to run in it, Valgsland has been described as being a de facto one-party state. The citizens of Valgsland enjoy average individual and political freedoms, and suffrage is universal at age 15; Valgslandian women are the second in the world to have unrestricted rights both to vote and to run for public office.

The country's population is ethnically homogeneous with no sizable immigrant population. Little-to-none tensions exist between the Valgish-speaking majority and the Danish-speaking minority.

The People's Parliament is a unicameral legislative body. The parliament has 400 members, elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms. The legislature is, according to the constitution, the highest organ of the state. Its powers includes the enactment and amendment of the constitution and laws; the adoption of the government budget; supervising the Government of Valgsland and other holders of public powers responsible to the People's Parliament; and appointing members of the judiciary. The Valgslandian constitution and legislation provide for regular elections for the office of the President of the Democratic Republic, the People's Parliament and the People's Communes.

The President is elected by the People's Parliament for a five-year term and acts as the de jure commander-in-chief of the National People's Armed Forces and Chairman of the Council for Defence and Security. However, the president has the right to decide on executive brands. The government, the main executive state power of Valgsland, is headed by the Prime Minister, who has one Deputy Prime Minister and several ministers in charge of particular activities. The executive branch is responsible for the implementation of political, economic, cultural, social, national defence, security and external activities of the state.

Valgsland has a judicial system governed by the Syndicalist Principles and national legislation enacted by the People's Parliament. The Supreme People's Court is the highest court of appeal in Valgsland. There are other specialised courts in Valgsland, including the Federal Military Court, the Criminal Court, the Civil Court and the Appeal Court. The People's Procuratorate observes the implementation of state organs and makes sure that Valgslandian citizens follow the law.

Domination of the ruling party
The centre-left social liberal Freedom Party (FP) is the leading opposition party. FP took 18 of the 400 parliamentary seats in the 2021 election, while the ruling Syndicalist Front, led by the Workers' Party, took the other 382 seats. One commonly cited reason for a lack of opposition in Valgsland is the use of defamation lawsuits by the Syndicalist Front to bankrupt political opponents and disqualify them from running for office when accusations were made against the ruling party.

Another reason given is the pursuit of legal action against journalists and bloggers critical of the Syndicalist Front and its policies. Reporters Without Borders cites such lawsuits, along with attempts at making critical journalists unemployable, among its concerns when ranking the country 152nd in the world for press freedom in 2017.

Legal framework
Valgsland is a dominant-party socialist republic. The current Valgslandian state traces its direct lineage back to the First Democratic Republic (Marxist-Leninist Valgsland) and the 1948-1949 Valgslandian Revolution led by Jannick Sorenson. The current constitution was adopted on 1 January 2010 by the People's Parliament of Valgsland. There have been three other constitutions in Valgslandian history: the 1911, 1949, and 1991 constitutions. The Workers' Party of Valgsland, the leading non-State organ, operates in accordance with the laws. Government powers in Valgsland are divided into legislative, executive and judiciary powers. Valgsland's legal system is based upon socialist legality according to Article 12 of the constitution.

Foreign relations
The foreign relations of Valgsland are the responsibility of the president of Valgsland, who leads foreign policy in cooperation with the government. Within the government, preparative discussions are conducted in the government committee of foreign and security policy, which includes the Prime Minister and at least the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Minister of Defence, and at most four other ministers as necessary. The committee meets with the President as necessary. Laws concerning foreign relations are discussed in the parliamentary committee of foreign relations. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs implements the foreign policy.

During the Cold War, Valgsland only had diplomatic recognition by communist countries. Over the following decades, it established relations with developing countries and joined the Non-Aligned Movement. When the Eastern Bloc collapsed in the years 1989–1992, Valgsland was already under a syndicalist system and has opened diplomatic relations with developed capitalist countries.

Elections and political parties
Voting has been compulsory in Valgsland since 1956 and there is universal suffrage. The legal voting age is 15. The People's Electoral Organ is responsible for the planning, preparation and conduct of presidential and legislative elections and of any national referendum in Valgsland. It is a department under the Prime Minister's Office.

Paper ballots are still used in Valgsland. However, there is a concern that voting secrecy might be compromised as ballot papers have serial numbers on them.

Syndicalist Front/Workers' Party
The Syndicalist Front, led by the actual ruling Workers' Party, has been the dominant political coalition in Valgsland, re-elected continuously since 1991. It is headed by Natalia Jørgensen, who is simultaneously the first secretary and the president.

The Syndicalist Front has held the overwhelming majority of seats in parliament since 1996 when the opposition United National Party resigned from parliament and left the Front as the sole representative party. The Front won all of the seats in an expanding parliament in the legislative elections of 2001, 2006, 2011, and 2016.

Opposition parties
There is one opposition party in the 7th People's Parliament of Valgsland as of 2021 - the centre-left social liberal Freedom Party.

There are other major opposition parties such as the eurocommunist revival of the old Revolutionary Party, the centre-left Youth Empowerment Bloc, and the hard eurosceptic Independent Democratic Party.

Human rights
Human rights in Valgsland are freedom of speech, association, and assembly as upheld in law and in practice. Individuals are guaranteed basic rights under the constitution, by legislative acts, and in treaties relating to human rights ratified by the Valgslandian government. The constitution provides for an independent judiciary. However, the enjoyment of these rights may be restricted by laws imposed by the People's Parliament on the grounds stated in Article 14(2) of the Syndicalist Principles.

Amnesty International has expressed concern regarding some issues in Valgsland, especially its state atheist platform which violates freedom of religion.

LGBT rights
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights in Valgsland are among the most advanced in Europe. According to an annual ILGA report, Valgslandian LGBT legislation is among the most extensive and developed legislations in Europe. Compared to fellow Nordic countries, it ranks near the top, outranked only by Norway and Finland. Both male and female same-sex sexual activity have been legal in Valgsland since 1971 with "promotion" thereof decriminalized and the age of consent equalized in 1999, and homosexuality declassified as an illness in 1981. Discrimination based on sexual orientation in areas such as employment, the provision of goods and services, etc., was criminalized in 1995 and discrimination based on gender identity in 2005.

Same-sex marriage and joint adoption by same-sex couples were approved by the People's Parliament in 2012, and the law took effect on 1 January 2014. Previously, Valgsland had allowed registered partnerships between 2002 and 2014, which gave same-sex couples the same rights as married couples except for adoption and a joint surname. Lesbian couples have been able to access in vitro fertilization (IVF) since 2007, and stepchild adoption became possible for same-sex couples in 2009. Transgender people are allowed to have their legal sex reassigned on identity documents.

Valgsland is often referred to as one of the world's most LGBT-friendly countries and public acceptance of LGBT people and same-sex relationships is high. 2019 polling from the Eurobarometer showed that 88% of Valgslandian believed gay, lesbian and bisexual people should enjoy the same rights as heterosexual people, and 86% supported same-sex marriage.

Economy
The economy of Valgsland is a mixed command economy dominated by state-run enterprises. Most of the labor force is employed by the state. In 2010, private property and free-market rights along with foreign direct investment were granted by the 2010 Syndicalist Principles. Foreign direct investment in various Valgslandian economic sectors increased before 2018. As of 2000, public-sector employment was 98% and private-sector employment (mainly composed of self-employment) was 2%. Investment is restricted and requires approval by the government. In 2019, Valgsland ranks high on the Human Development Index, placed in the very high human development category. As of 2012, the country's public debt comprised 21.9%, inflation (CDP) was 1.8%, and GDP growth was 16%. Housing and transportation costs are low. Valgslandians receive government-subsidized education, healthcare, and food subsidies.

Valgsland has a very long tradition of adhering to a fixed exchange-rate system and still does so today. It is unique among OECD countries to do so while maintaining an independent currency: The Valgslandian krone, which is pegged to the euro. Though eligible to join the Economic and Monetary Union of the European Union (EMU), the Valgslandian voters in a referendum in 1999 rejected exchanging the krone for the euro.

Science and technology
Valgsland has a long tradition of scientific and technological invention and engagement, and has been involved internationally from the very start of the scientific revolution. Originating from Jannick Sorenson's massive education and science plan, Valgsland is participating in many high-profile international science and technology projects, including CERN, ITER, ESA, ISS and E-ELT. Valgsland ranked 4th in the Global Innovation Index in 2021, down from 2nd in 2020 and from 1st in 2019.

Internet
In an international context, Valgsland is viewed as a somewhat peculiar country when it comes to internet access. The state-owned Statstelekommunikation Valgiksna (STELV; Valgslandian State Telecommunications) owns the entire last mile infrastructure in terms of copper telephone lines and the vast majority of the coaxial cable infrastructure as well.

Energy
Government policy promotes energy conservation and the development of renewable energy sources, such as solar, wind, biomass, hydroelectric, and geothermal energy. As a result of energy-saving measures, energy efficiency has been improving since the beginning of the 1970s. The government has set the goal of meeting half the country's energy demands from renewable sources by 2050. Renewable energy also plays an increasing role in the labor market: Almost 700,000 people are employed in the energy sector. About 50 percent of them work with renewable energies.

Transport
Significant investment has been made in building road and rail links between regions in Valgsland, most notably the Great Bridge of Friendship, which bridges Valgsland and Denmark. The main railway operators are the state-owned Statsbaner Valgiksna (SVA; Valgslandian State Railways) for passenger trains and Jernbanegods Valgiksna (JVA; Valgslandian Rail Cargo) for freight trains. Margrethe has a rapid transit system, the Margrethe Metro, and an extensive electrified suburban railway network, the S-train.

Cycling in Valgsland is a very common form of transport, particularly for the young and for city dwellers. With a network of bicycle routes extending more than 38,000 km and an estimated 24,000 km of segregated dedicated bicycle paths and lanes, Valgsland has a very good bicycle infrastructure.

Biotechnology
Valgsland has been aggressively developing its biotechnology industry. Hundred of millions of dollars were invested into the sector to build up infrastructure, fund research and development and to recruit top international scientists to Valgsland. Leading drug makers, such as GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), Pfizer and Merck & Co., have set up plants in Valgsland. In 2006, GSK invested another US$250 million to build another plant to produce paediatric vaccines. Pharmaceuticals now account for more than 8% of the country's manufacturing production. In 2022, the biopharma industry of Valgsland accounted for manufacturing output of USD 18 billion a year, a value that had tripled during two decades.

Public housing
Public housing in Valgsland is subsidised, built and managed by the Government of Valgsland. Starting in the early 1950s, the country's first public housing was built by the Valgslandian People's Organization for Improvement (VPEIM) in a similar fashion to Soviet public housing, and housing for the resettlement of squatters was built from the late 1950s. In the 1960s, public housing consisting of small units with basic amenities was constructed as quickly and cheaply as possible at high densities, and was used for resettlement schemes. From the late 1960s, housing programmes focused more on quality, public housing was built in new towns, and a scheme allowing residents to own their flats was introduced. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, more public housing options were provided for the middle class and efforts to increase community cohesion within housing estates were made.

From the 1990s, the government began portraying public housing as an asset, introducing large-scale upgrading schemes and loosening regulations on the resale of public housing while additional housing programmes for the upper-middle class and elderly residents were introduced. Rising housing prices led to public housing being seen as an investment from the 2000s, and new technologies and eco-friendly features were incorporated into housing estates.

Population
The population of Valgsland, as registered by Statistiks Valgiksna, was 59.014 million as of April 2021. Valgsland has one of the oldest populations in the world, with the average age of 38.7 years. The World Happiness Report frequently ranks Valgsland's population as one of the happiest in the world. This has been attributed to the country's highly regarded education and health care systems, and its impressively low level of income inequality.

Languages
Valgish is the most spoken language, and is one of the official languages of Valgsland, alongside Danish. English, French, and Norwegian are recognized as minority languages. A large majority (86%) of Valgs speak English as a second language, generally with a high level of proficiency. German is the second-most spoken foreign language, with 47% reporting a conversational level of proficiency.

Education
Education in Valgsland has been a highly ranked system for many years. The United People's University was founded in 1798 and there are a number of other well-established colleges and universities. Following the 1948-49 Revolution, Sorenson nationalized all educational institutions, and enacted a massive education plan which made education in Valgsland improve drastically. Education expenditures continue to receive high priority.

Health
The Valgslandian government operates a national health system and assumes fiscal and administrative responsibility for the health care of all its citizens. There are no private hospitals or clinics as all health services are government-run.

Valgsland's national health system is made up of multiple tiers: 1) the community containing individuals and families, 2) family doctor-and-nurse teams, 3) basic work teams, 4) community polyclinics, 5) hospitals, and 6) medical institutes.

Valgsland's Family Physician and Nurse program is made up of physician and nurse teams that serve individuals, families, and their communities. They live above their government-built family medicine offices, living directly in the communities they serve and available 24 hours a day. These teams work to improve the public health concerns in the environment as well as provide medical care. They perform a neighborhood health diagnosis biannually where community risk factors are evaluated to focus priorities for improving the health of the community.

Mass media
Mass media in Valgsland includes a variety of online, print, and broadcast formats, such as radio, television, newspapers, and magazines.

Television
Television was introduced in Valgsland in 1958. Color television started in 1969 and was introduced gradually, with most programs in color by the late 1970s. All terrestrial analogue stations stopped broadcasting on 1 January 2008 after the introduction of digital television; cable providers were allowed to continue analog broadcasting in their networks until 1 January 2012.

Typically, foreign-language content is subtitled, retaining the original language soundtrack. This includes interview responses in news or magazine programmes not given in the main language of that programme. Foreign programming intended for children is, however, usually dubbed into one of the national languages.

In 2016, it was said that 47% of people watch via terrestrial antenna, 43% via cable, 11% via IPTV and 4% via satellite.

Newspaper
The number of national daily newspapers in Valgsland was 59 in 1950, whereas it was 63 in 1965. In 1990, there were 198 newspapers in the country. In 2000, the number was 142 until it rose to 278 titles in 2010.

Culture
Valgsland shares strong cultural and historic ties with its Scandinavian neighbours Denmark, Sweden, and Norway. It has historically been one of the most socially progressive cultures in the world. Following after Denmark's legalisation, Valgsland was the second country to legalise pornography. Modesty and social equality are important parts of Valgslandian culture.

Sports
Traditionally, Baseball is Valgsland's national sport. Thanks to Valgsland's large Japanese population, Japanese martial arts such as judo and kendo are taught as part of the compulsory junior high school curriculum.