Heiban

Heiban (: 海平; Hải Bình), officially the Monarchical State of Heiban is a country in southewestern Kesh bordered to the north by Verissi and Gxea, to the south by Ramay across the Canbrict Strait, to the east by the South Kesh Bay, and to the west by the Iapetus Ocean. Heiban covers a total area of 929,097s square kilometres (358,726 sq mi) and has an estimated population as 99.6 million as of 2021. The capital and largest metropolis is the city of Yenbai, natively known as Yên Bái. Heiban is a.

The Heiban peninsula has been inhabited as early as the Paleolithic age by. The first known modern Heibanese civilization during the second millennium BC centred on the northern end of the Lào Mau River, near modern-day Yenbai. This initial civilization, and the communities that formed it, where known collectively as Nồm, and managed to remain almost entirely isolated for much of their early history. Contact with other emerging civilizations in the vicinity of the South Kesh Bay began around the 10th century BCE, with the arrival of Austronesian people from present-day Ramay and South Kesh. In the 3rd century BCE, the Nồm communities, scattered across the country's plains, began to grow into larger matriarchal chiefdoms and small monarchies, the largest of which was the Matriarchy of Hải Bình ruled by the Trịnh dynasty. By the beginning of the, this nation had expanded and annexed virtually all smaller chiefdoms in the peninsula. The Trịnh dynasty fell in the year 677 CE, and was overthrown by the Vương dynasty, considered to be the last true Nồm dynasty in Heiban, as it was under their rule that the country came in contact with Imperial Kodeshia in the 11th century.

Once the Matriarchy of Heiban came in contact with the Kodeshi Empire, a trading agreement was put in place between both nations. The Vương agreed for Kodeshi merchants to be stationed in the nation's largest port city of Sa Hóa. The agreement remained peaceful for nearly two centuries, however, as years went by, the Vương dynasty struggled to maintain its influence on the native population who had begun growing fond of the Chou dynasty of Kodesia. The Vương dynasty was challenged by the Lý dynasty and by the year 1234 CE, it had taken over the nation. However, the Lý rule was short-lived, as the Chou fell in Imperial Kodeshia in favor of the Zhou dynasty only three years after the Lý dynasty had come to power in Heiban. The Zhou Empire coerced the southern Kesh nation into consensus of becoming an imperial vassal state, to which the Lý showed little to no opposition. Zhou government officials, known as vassals, were sent to Heiban to replace the native leaders and act instead as heads of state in the name of the Emperor of Kodeshia.

As a vassal state, the nation's name was changed to the Vassal State of Zhou Heiban. The native Heibanese were allowed to maintain the usage of their language, however, people were forced into using the. Kodeshi rule on the territory managed to remain unfazed and unchallenged by the natives due to the strong military presence for three centuries before the fall of the Zhou dynasty in mainland Kodeshia. The vassal stationed in Heiban during this time was a loyal member of the Zhou family, and refusing to hand over the power, taking advantage of the effects left by the independence of Qingcheng, the geographical distance, and incapacitated navy, he, along with the Kodeshi soldiers in Heiban, seized power of the nation and in October of 1531 established in its place the Zhou Empire of Heiban.

Zhou rule was present in Heiban until the 19th century with the Assassination of Emperor Wei Zhi in January of 1830, marking the beginning of the Decade of Terror in the country. During this decade, Heiban entered a near state of anarchy as the extremist anti-Zhou, and imperialist people and the imperial armed forces fought relentlessly in almost every major city, with the biggest front being the Imperial City of Yenbai. Considered one of the biggest catastrophes in Heibanese history, it resulted in the death of millions and the largest migration wave of Heibanese people to other countries. In 1838, Empress Jin Jin called for a ceasefire from the imperial armed forces, and used her power as to put an end to the ongoing violence through peaceful means. In May of 1840, the Constitution of the Monarchical State of Heiban was created, considered the official end to the Decade of Terror.

Today, Heiban is a, and one of the most developed in southern Kesh. Over the last few decades, the Heibanese government has embraced early Nồm traditions and incorporated them into the country’s modern law, making Heiban one of the most environmentally friendly countries in the world, readopting its stance as a, and pushing for better standards of living in both Heiban and southern Kesh, contributing in humanitarian and financial aid, as well as taking in refugees from foreign nations. The country specializes in the, , and  industries, and as of 2020 had a GDP by  of $2,400 trillion. Heiban has also been a member of the Unaligned Nations Consortium (UNC) since 1998.

Etymology
The name "Heiban" (/hɛiːbɑːn/; hey-BAN; : 海平, : Hải Bình ) comes from the Heibanese words Hải Bình (海平, meaning 'calm sea' ), and it's the shortened version of its complete name, Nước Hải Bình (渃海平, meaning 'land of the calm sea' ). The earliest written evidence of this name used in reference to area dates back to the 2nd millennium BCE, found in the ancient cities of the native Nồm people, who lived on the western side of the peninsula. The name was eventually modified during Zhou occupation and officially rewritten to fit the Guoyu and. The name fell out of use after 1531, and was officially readopted in 1840 with the creation of the Monarchical State of Heiban and its Constitution. Empress Jin Jin, ruler at the time, insisted that the name be of Nồm origin as a nod to the ancient native civilization and the country's liberation from Zhou oppression.

History

 * Main article: History of Heiban

Imperial Kodeshia in Heiban

 * See also: Kodeshia

In the mid-11th century, in the year 1059, ships coming from the Empire of Kodeshia arrived to the western shores of the South Kesh Bay, which was territory of the Matriarchy of Hải Bình, ruled under the Vương Dynasty. Upon the initial encounter, the rulers and the people of Hải Bình showed cordial but territorial toward the Eastern Keshian arrivals, particularly due to the language barrier. Imperial Kodeshia sought to settle relations in Southern Kesh as one of the first external powers to come in contact with the states of this region, to expand its trading reach beyond the eastern side of the continent. This is how, months after their initial arrival, the two states signed a trade agreement in 1960 known as the East-South Accords, where the Matriarchy of Hải Bình approved for the creation of merchant and trading posts, and the stationing of Kodeshi ships on the nation's largest harbor in the city of Sa Hóa, in exchange for protection from other global powers who might seek to assert authority and influence in the region, as well as financial contribution.

The agreement remained peaceful and interrupted for several decades, and the relationship between both states became more solidified and almost vital to the Matriarchy of Hải Bình. This became especially true, when at the start of the 12th century, Imperial Kodeshia began to send rural workers in large waves to the southern Kesh nation to work the fields, as the former had a much larger population and could benefit from exporting what was grown in Hải Bình back home. In time, this relationship became detrimental to the Vương Dynasty, which had been ruling the country for nearly five and a half centuries, as the people native to Hải Bình began to show more gratitude and devotion to the Chou Dynasty from Kodeshia, believing it was because of them that their country had started to prosper. This resulted in the fall of the Vương Dynasty, challenged, and eventually overthrown, by the Lý Dynasty in the year 1234. However, the rule of the Lý was short lived in the country as the Chou Dynasty fell in Kodeshia in favor of the Zhou Dynasty, who had a different and much more hostile approach to the Matriarchy of Hải Bình than its predecessor.

In the year 1238, Imperial Kodeshia sent representatives of the Zhou Emperor to meet with the Lý Matriarch, in order to renegotiate the terms of the East-South Accords that had been signed nearly two centuries ago. The terms presented by the Emperor of Kodeshia remained mostly in line with what had been previously establishes, however, newly additions included the increase of migration waves of Kodeshi rural workers, which in turn would result in more crops being sent to Imperial Kodeshia, half of the tax money collected by the Lý Dynasty from Heibanese citizens to be sent to the Emperor of Kodeshia, stationing of military personnel and naval vessels outside the city of Sa Hóa, and the replacement of the Matriarch of Hải Bình as head of state for representatives of the Kodeshi Empire known as Vassals. After being presented with these terms, the Lý Dynasty showed little to no resistance, as it was agreed that the monarchy would not see itself affected by the change in terms. This new agreement was known as the Binding of the Zhou and Lý Dynasties and Vassalization of Hải Bình.

As the newly established agreement came into fruition, the territory of present-day Heiban became more integrated into Kodeshia as a vassal state, with the adoption of the as the main language used for trade, politics, and all forms of printed information, and the integration of Kodeshi traditions, such as the use of the Lunar Calendar and the many festivities tied to it. In 1247, a decade after the signing of the new agreement, the country's name was changed to Vassal State of Zhou Heiban, and the Lý Dynasty was officially dissolved through exile. By 1250, the country had reached a point that modern Heibanese historians consider to be the proper de facto annexation of Heiban by Imperial Kodeshia.

Decade of Decay (1830 - 1839)

 * Main article: Decade of Decay in Heiban

The 1830s in Heiban are known historically as the "Heibanese Decade of Decay", or simply the "Decade of Decay". Characterized by continuous presence and involvement of anti-monarchist guerrillas, imperial paramilitary forces, and armed civilians, the start of the Decade was marked by the Assassination of Emperor Wei Zhi, on 12 January 1830. Presented as one of the earliest forms of human rights protesting in the country, Emperor Wei Zhi's assassination was conducted by a former anti-monarchist organization in Zhou-ruled Heiban known as the Southern Liberation Front, a group based on Sứ Bất, southern Heiban, comprising mainly Nồm and Ramayan people living in the country. Not long after the assassination, the people responsible were put to death and the remaining members of the Southern Liberation Front began to be chased down by Imperial paramilitary forces.

The chase for members of the Southern Liberation Front started on 15 June 1830, when the Crown Regent of Heiban, who acted in place of the emperor until the heir apparent came of age, sent out an order to capture or kill on sight members of the SLF, and that those hiding any of the fugitives would be considered enemies to the throne of Heiban, and sentenced to death. This resulted in a mass wave of raids from the Imperial forces, particularly of small southern towns whose majority of the population was comprised of Ramayan people. During August of that very year took place the catastrophe known as the Fireflies of Mở Lai, during which a houses in a farming community, located on the Imperial province of Mở Lai, were burnt down one by one with every individual still inside. The massacre, which took the lives of 160 people, left no survivors, and is considered one of the barbaric moments in Heibanese history. The event gets its name from the burning people running out of their houses who, when observed from a nearby town higher in elevation, were told to look like fireflies from a distance.

In January of 1831, a week before the one year anniversary of the death of Wei Zhi, a group of members from the SFL, were found hiding on the island of Kiến Văn, off the southern coast of the province of Nam Quá. These people were brought back to the former imperial capital of Qifeng (present-day Yên Bái), and were beheaded along with their spouses in the central square of the city. The execution was depicted on paper, printed and mass distributed to every city in the country to be considered a warning to the SFL members that were still in hiding, and to the general population. State-organized raids and crime increased during the following months as the look out for enemies of the throne expanded to all provinces in the country. In May of 1831, people of mostly Ramayan ethnicity, began to organize into rebel groups in the southeastern provinces of Ðông Sự and Khá Liễu, as an act of rebellion toward the monarchy and its armed forces. Initially, these groups would simply aid members of the SFL in hiding or their families with food or clothing, most of which was usually provided by other people in nearby towns who wanted to help but didn't want to risk being affiliated with the rebels. By December of that same year, the reach and influence of the rebel groups, known historically and collectively as the Hand, had almost entirely taken over the provinces of Khá Liễu and Mở Lai, and where slowly gaining territory on the province of Ðông Sự, which hosted the largest and second most important city at the time, Thầy Đây.

By February of 1832, the Hand had gain complete control of the southern half of the Ðông Sự and Giữa Thànhự provinces, and seized control of Port Oanh, in eastern Ðông Sự, the third largest port in the country, and the only one with ship routes to East Ramay and Naga, two of the largest trading partners of Heiban at the time. This, in turn, led to the imperial response being the Destruction of Ngốc Lạt, in April of 1832, which consisted in the actual demolition of buildings and houses that were home of Ramayan families, as well as public execution at random of ethnically Ramayan and Nồm people. The imperial act of terrorism managed to maintain the Hand under state control for several months, as members would quit afraid of the retributions. Nevertheless, in September of 1832, the Hand advanced north, and by March of 1833, it had seized complete control of the city of Thầy Đây, and was gaining more stations near the border with the Biên Giớ province.

In 1834, the Hand took control of the majorly Zhou city of Tải Dông, in northern Giữa Thànhự, only a few kilometres away from Qifeng. During the seize, the rebel forces had managed to injure or kill almost all of the imperial forces stationed in the city, and on 31 December 1834, took place what is considered the first act of terrorism from the anti-monarchist forces, at the time led by extremist Nguyễn Anh Khoa. On New Year's Eve of 1834, the Hand replicated the executions of Qifeng that had taken place at the start of the Decade, with civilians of Zhou ethnicity living in Tải Dông, where an estimated 200 people were assassinated in the city's main square. This event reshaped and redirected the conflict and its purpose, as it was from 1935 onwards that the fight began to be referred to as a political conflict as opposed to an ethnic one, like it had been up until that point.

Both sides fought relentlessly, seizing the control of entire cities and provinces, and committing crimes of similar calibre against the general population. By 1837, the Decade had claimed a total of almost 30,000 victims, and the partial destruction of some of the country's largest cities. In 1838, as an act of last resort, the government finished construction of the Wall of Qifeng, a 5-meter high concrete wall surrounding the imperial capital, in hopes to keep the imperial family and the city residents, about 93% of whom were of Zhou origin, safe from the Hand. The Decade of Decay came to an official end in November of 1839, when a month after her coronation, Empress Jin Jin called ceasefire from the imperial paramilitary forces, and called in the leaders of the Hand to declare a truce, which was signed on 6 November 1839.

Government and politics

 * Main article: Government of Heiban; Constitution of Heiban

The state of Heiban is a  comprising eleven. The country's is the Monarch of Heiban, who holds the title of either ; meanwhile, the  is the Royal Council, a ten-member body of government, at the head of which is the Grand Secretariat, a rotative position comparable to that of. The Constitution of Heiban, also known as the Supreme Law of the Land (: 律坦墆最高; Luật Đất đai tối cao) is codified and states that the government be divided into three different branches responsible for one another: the, the , and the.

Executive

 * ''Main article: Monarch of Heiban; Royal Council of Heiban
 * ''See also: List of Heibanese monarchs

The executive power is vested on the Monarch of Heiban as the head of state, de jure of the armed forces, and de jure Protector of the Faith for life or until. Since 1840, the title of Monarch of Heiban is hereditary under a system of ; there have only been two kings in the country's history under its current government system, with the present Monarch of Heiban, King Zuo Jun, being the latest of them. In the event the doesn't meet the minimum ruling age requirement, the next person in line part of the Royal Family over the age of 21 will be declared, and serve as the substitute monarch in the Heir's place until this one comes of age. As dictated by the Constitution of Heiban, the Monarch is the only entity in the country not entirely bound to the Supreme Law, and holds reserved powers shared with the head of government. This grants Heiban's monarchy its status as semi-constitutional.

The head of government is the Royal Council, under the direction of the Grand Secretariat, a rotative position between the ten members of Council. The Grand Secretariat will act as the main person in charge of virtually all national political affairs with the help of the Council. The order in which the Council members will take over the position of grand secretariat is chosen at random and established upon the Council's formation. The members of the Council are drawn from Parliament by the Monarch, usually with recommendation of members of former Councils. The head of government acts as the main advisory body for the head of state, and each Council will dissolve after 5 years, time by which all members would have held the position of Grand Secretariat. Council members can be reappointed for the position as many times as the Monarch may see fit.

Before the start of the first Grand Secretariat's term, each newly formed Council must decide on people to appoint as Ministers of Heiban. The ministers are the heads of the administrative government offices known as, and each of them is, upon appointment, bestowed on them the responsibility of overseeing and handling specific areas of government and politics, while reporting back to the Royal Council. Ministries are assigned a specific annual budget proportional to their individual importance and contribution to the country; it is then up to the ministers to determine in which way to spend this budget and report all financial movement to the Royal Treasury.

The ministers are also a part of the People’s Cabinet, a political body comprising the grand secretariat, the ministers, and functionaries, designed for the head of government to receive all updates pertaining to the different areas of politics, and be advised on all different fronts. The position of Minister of Heiban is bound to the Royal Council, meaning each of them will have a 5 year term, after which they will either be replaced or kept for an extra term upon decision of the newest Council. Ministers can only be reappointed two consecutive times, and appointed a total of four times.

Legislature

 * ''Main article: Legislature of Heiban; Parliamentary elections of Heiban

The Legislature of Heiban functions under a formed by a  known as the His Majesty's Parliament of Heiban, which meets in the Palace of Laws (Heibanese: 宮殿律; Cung điện luật), in the capital city of Yenbai. The Heibanese Legislature is formed by the (MP), and is tasked with the responsibility of proposing and ultimately creating new laws. Two constitutional restrictions have been set on the Legislature, these being the act of, and the dissolvement of government, both powers reserved by the Monarch.

For laws to be passed, each bill proposed by any member of parliament or political coalition must meet, in Heiban this term refers to a positive vote by half of the Members of Parliament, plus one. The Grand Secretariat will appoint a Chairperson, an annual position, who will act as the during Parliamentary Sessions; this being the period of time during which the Parliament will function. For several years now Parliamentary Sessions have started on March 3rd and ended on December 12th, however, the Royal Council may call for Emergency Sessions during the Parliament’s Resting Period between December 13th and March 2nd, with the exception of days observed as.

For, Heiban is divided into 480 counties, each electing a single Member of Parliament by simple plurality. Elections in Heiban take place during the month of October, and have a non-fixed term of 6 years in between. By convention, the Monarch will respect the six-year period as recommended by the head of government, however, they still hold the constitutional power to call for elections whenever they see fit. Parliamentary elections are for every citizen over the age of 21, and optional for citizens between the ages of 18 and 20, and those living or staying abroad during the election period. Members of Parliament can run a maximum of two consecutive times for an infinite total number of times; they may also be summoned to form the Royal Council.

Judiciary

 * Main article: Judiciary of Heiban; Ladies of Justice of Heiban

The Judiciary of Heiban is a hierarchical system, atop which stands His Majesty’s High Court, comprising six judges known as the Ladies of Justice (Heibanese: 貴婆功理; Quý bà công lý), and is the only position of government inaccessible to men, as stated in the Constitution. The Ladies of Justice are granted lifetime tenure, and are directly appointed by the Monarch of Heiban. Much like the Royal Council, former Ladies of Justice will usually pass their recommendation on to the Monarch for new candidates. HM High Court is stationed at the Supreme Courthouse of Heiban, in the capital of Yenbai, and is in charge of interpreting, defending and applying the law across the country.

Courthouses in Heiban are divided into two categories: Courts of Inquiry, which hear cases in the first instance, and Courts of Entreaty, which review specific contested decisions made by the Courts of Inquiry. Certain courthouses are known as Hybrid Courts, as they’re both Courts of Inquiry and Entreaty. HM High Court is what’s known as a ‘court of last resort’, meaning that although it will usually act as a Court of Entreaty by reviewing previous cases, HM High Court might act as a Court of Inquiry in cases of national urgency, such as a political trials or terrorism.

All provinces in Heiban are home to a High Court, that will oftentimes act in the stead of HM High Court in matters of regional urgency, the judges in charge of these High Courts are referred to as Prime Judges. The national High Court can be identified by the words “Her Majesty’s” or “His Majesty’s” (abbreviated to H.M or HM) in their official name; no provincial High Court may include this designation as part of their name.

Geography

 * Main article: Geography of Heiban

Bordered to the southeast and east by the South Kesh Bay, to the west and southwest by the Iapetus Ocean, to the northwest by Verissi and to the northeast by Gxea, Heiban has an area of 929,097 square kilometres (358,726 sq mi) and lies between latitudes and. It has a 3,935-kilometre (2,445-mile) coastline along the South Kesh Bay and the Iapetus Ocean, and it's home to more than a hundred islands and islets off its shore. The country's landscape is characterised by a low-lying north-central that extends from east to west, home to many hills and valleys, and surrounded by  to the south and low mountains to the north. On the western end of this plain lies the largest in the country, Lake Bao Giá, and the southern reaches of the West Kesh river basin, one of the largest on the planet. Extending from its central region are transitional plains to the south, thinly forested and rising to elevations of about 600 metres (1900 feet) above sea level. To the north the Gxean plain abuts a, which forms a southward facing cliff stretching for more than ??? kilometres (??? miles) from west to east, across almost the entire Heibanese-Gxean border, and rising abruptly above the plain to heights of 800 to 1,600 meters (2,800-5,200 feet). This cliff demarks most of Heiban's northeastern border and the southern limit of the Vàng Ðỉnh Mountain Range.

Flowing southward from the Vàng Ðỉnh Mountains, through Heiban's plains and southern hills is the Lào Mau River. East and west of the Lào Mau, the transitional plains gradually merge with the southern highlands, a region of forested hills and high plateaus that extend to the countries's southern coastlines, creating a massive valley around the river mouth and extending in a latitudinal fashion northeastward. This valley divides the southern Heibanese highlands into two blocks, the western side presents higher elevations and rougher terrain, giving way to a much more rugged coastline, and resulting in many peninsulas and islets off its shore. Part of the western highlands is Mount Buôn Pha, an eastward facing cliff, with a 770 meter (2,526 ft.) drop into the Iapetus Ocean at its peak. The southwestern highlands are the least populated region of Heiban due to its difficult access, and are home to three Nature Realm Protectorates.

The southeastern highlands are much smaller in comparison, and much easier to cross, with two large cities being located along the highlands' southern side. These have a much more gradual transition into both the central plains and the shores, with their highest peaks being located inland rather than close to the coast. The southeastern seaboard next to the highlands is smooth and devoted of islands. Unlike its western counterpart, this region is much more populated, with some of Heiban's biggest touristic hotspots being found here. Despite its smaller size, the southeastern highlands are the northern extension of the much larger Ramay Mountain Chain, that runs accross southeastern Heiban and the Ramayan islands.

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Wildlife and conservation

 * Main article: Wildlife of Heiban



Heiban’s environmental and nature-friendly policies during the last few decades have been applauded by its citizens and activists alike. Almost every political party and coalition in the country has pushed for green policies at Parliament, with some of the most renown environmentally cautious milestones for the country including: the creation of the Secretariat for Environment, Climate and Biodiversity in 1913, a rare sight at the time; the approval of the Mother Nature Act in 1969, meant to put in place environmental regulations on the many industries across the country to ensure good air, water and soil quality, and the non-disturbance of the Heibanese flora and fauna; the creation of Nature Realm Protectorates across the country, with the largest of them being the Empress Jin Jin Sanctuary, considered one of Heiban’s holiest sites; and the rising in the severity of punishments for environmental crimes, with poachers being charged with up to 50 years in prison, or, in some cases, the death penalty.

There are 627 protected areas in Heiban that cover 23% of its territory, or nearly 213,692 km2 (82,506 sq mi). The state is also a self-proclaimed Ally for Nature, after having passed the Environmental Rights Act in 1991, declaring the protection of wildlife and biodiversity in the country an explicit national priority, and calling for constitutional reform. Today, the Constitution of Heiban recognizes the rights for nature, granting all flora and fauna within Heiban’s borders rights similar to fundamental human rights.

Heiban is a diverse nation, with countless species living in its territory. There are 312 mammal species, 547 bird species, 281 reptile species, 650 freshwater species, and 540 marine fish species according to scientists and zoologists, as well as approximately 5000 identified plant species. Much of the country’s biodiversity is contained near the southern and central regions, and around the many rivers feeding into the Iapetus Ocean and the South Kesh Bay.

Administrative divisions

 * Main article: ''Administrative divisions of Heiban

The state of Heiban is divided into four administrative divisions: provinces, urban prefectures, prefectures, and counties. Apart from these, there also exist two non-administrative divisions: the regions, and the nature realm protectorates.

Level subdivisions

 * Main article: Provinces of Heiban, Prefectures of Heiban, Counties of Heiban

At first level subdivision are the provinces of Heiban, of which there are eleven. Each province is run by a Provincial Committee formed by a director, appointed by the Royal Council, and one representative from each prefecture within the province. These representatives, also known as governors, are elected by the citizens of their prefecture every 4 years. The provinces of Heiban carry cultural and social importance, as citizens tend to identify with their province of origin, all of which have their own traditions, foods, festivities, and customs. All provinces can establish its own official languages, which all provincial authorities must abide to. To date, there are three languages in the country that hold provincial status:, , and , all of which are official in at least on province.

The second level subdivisions of Heiban are the prefectures. Modern-day prefectures follow almost the exact same borders of the ancient imperial provinces originally drawn by Empress Jin Jin herself. Prefectures nowadays serve as electoral districts for elections to prefectural representatives of the provincial committee. Prefectures are also linked to the Judiciary of Heiban as each of them is home to a High Court. Every ten years, each prefecture will submit the most commonly used languages by population to the provincial committee so that said language can be registered as a provincial official language.

A the third level, are the counties of Heiban. The counties of Heiban were created during the early 20th century with the effects of the Great Kesh War and quickening population growth led to a population boom in the 60s. This newly gained population called for more seats at parliament and more electoral districts. During the Parliamentary Reform in the 70s the country gained a total of 880 electoral districts. Based on Heiban's growth rate, this number is projected to remain useful until around the year 2060.

Other subdivisions

 * ''Main article: Urban prefectures of Heiban, Regions of Heiban

The urban prefectures of Heiban, of which there are eight as of 2022, are the country's largest cities. Though part of their respective prefectures, the surface area and population of urban prefectures always represents a very large fraction of the prefecture's total, and in most instances surpassing the prefectural average in other measurements, such as income, or people by square kilometer. All these conditions have resulted in the creation of the special governmental status of 'urban prefecture', allowing for every city under this denomination to be treated as a prefecture if the city's Mayor sees it fit. Today only five cities have chosen to gain prefectural independence, among which is the country's capital of Yenbai.

The regions of Heiban are geographical divisions of the country, not official or under any form of authority, but subjected to public opinion of their borders. Some of the regions are also aligned with cultural and linguistic regionalization of the country, making for the controversy surrounding the true location and borders of these regions. The regions of Heiban are four and are: the Isles and Peninsulas, the Highlands, the Plains, the Mountains, and Central Heiban. Most of these regions are overlapped with each other, and not all of them are continuous, as is the case of the Highlands. Though regions do not tend to carry as much cultural importance as the provinces, in every day life people may ask those born in a different part of the country from what region their from as opposed to hometown or province.

Foreign relations

 * Main article: Foreign relations of Heiban

Foreign relations of Heiban are handled by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and oftentimes, the country will send the Minister of Foreign Affairs to act as the Heibanese representative in international organizations and meetings, due to the temporary nature of the head of government.

Heiban joined the Unaligned Nations Consortium (UNC) in 1998 as an act of protectionism of its citizens, economy and territory. Having witnessed the consequences of Grand Campaigns, the Great Kesh War, and the Southern Kesh Apartheid, the Monarch of Heiban at the time, Queen Qin Ah, saw it fit to only partake in international organizations that will have Heiban's best interest in mind, culturally and economically, without joining any form of alliances or mutual defense organizations. In 1986, and follow the events of the Lost Decade, Heiban founded, along with Cagayan and Prabhat, the Southern Kesh Economic Cooperation Organization (SKECO), an economic union and trade bloc seeking to promote intergovernmental cooperation, and facilitate economic integration between its members.

As a state, Heiban is an advocate of international and regional cooperation, particularly looking to help in the economic, cultural, and technological development of the Southern Kesh region. Heiban has extradition treaties and civilizan defense agreements with other nations, and holds increasingly close ties with other Southern Kesh nations such as aforementioned Cagayan and Prabhat, as well as Ramay, Naga, and more recently South Kesh following the events of the apartheid.

Military

 * Main article: Armed Forces of Heiban

The Heibanese Imperial System of Defense (:海平系統房首帝國; Hải Bình Hệ thống Phòng thủ Đế quốc) are the armed forces of Heiban, under the direction of the General Chief of Heiban and the Monarch of Heiban as the de facto and de jure supreme commanders respectively. The Heibanese armed forces consist of the Royal Army (軍隊皇家; Quân đội hoàng gia), the Royal Navy (海軍皇家; Hải quân hoàng gia), the Royal Air Forces (力量空軍皇家; Lực lượng Không quân Hoàng gia), the Royal Guard of Traditions (保衛傳統𧵑皇家; Bảo vệ truyền thống của Hoàng gia), the Bureau of Environmental Security (局安寧媒場; Cục An ninh Môi trường), and His Majesty's Imperial Service (役務皇家𧵑陛下; Dịch vụ Hoàng gia của Bệ hạ)



The Heibanese Imperial System of Defense has a combined manpower of 425,000 active duty personnel and another 728,000 active reserve personnel. The head of the armed forces, the General Chief of Heiban, is a title vested on the Monarch of Heiban, however, this position has only been nominal for several years. The armed forces are managed by the Ministry of Defense of Heiban, which is headed in turn by the Minister of Defense, and commanded by the Military Assembly of Heiban, at the head of which is the General Chief of Heiban. The Heibanese defense budget has increased from 49 billion wang in 2009 to 82 billion wang in 2018, accounting for approximately 3.42% of the country's total GDP as of 2019.

A special branch of the military, known as the Heibanese Cooperative Forces, is specifically tasked with humanitarian missions both domestic and abroad, such as escorting war and climate crisis refugees from certain countries, ensuring security and welfare for refugees fleeing to Heiban, and assisting foreign governments in the protection of their citizens. However, as an unaligned nation since 1998, Heiban has sworn not to fight in favor or against foreign political entities or ideologies, and will only resort to intervention in instances of international urgency that may threaten the lives of civilians.

Despite the country having been in peacetime for several decades, military service in Heiban has been since 1980 for all citizens, regardless of gender, between the ages of 18 and 28. According to the Heibanese government, this is done to ensure the readiness of all citizens in the event of a catastrophe or necessary war.

Education

 * Main article: Education in Heiban

The Heibanese education system is composed of both state-owned and private institutions. All academic establishments are overseen and directed by the Ministry of Education, with an annual budget of $110.400 billion, or 4.6% of the country's total GDP. The education system is divided into five academic levels:

A completed academic cycle in Heiban will last an average of 23.5 years.
 * An initial or level for children between 1 and 5 years old. Seeing as this is an optional level, most parents decide to homeschool their children during the initial level. However, all children within this age gap are required by law to take Ramayan and Guoyu language classes in order to learn to write and read in both languages. In an institution, children are enrolled at age 1 or 2, and for a duration of 4 years.
 * An elementary or level lasting 7 years, with children starting at ages 6 or 7 years old. It is from this level onwards that education in Heiban becomes mandatory by law, and parents who don't enroll children in school can be charged with . As of 2020, the literacy rate for children in primary school was 99.3%.
 * A secondary or level lasting 6 years, with students starting at ages 13 or 14 years old. At this level all students in Heiban are required by law to receive religion classes on both  and . Students must choose one of the following specialization when enrolling into high school: Literature and Languages, Science, Technology, or Arts. As of 2020, 95.4% of citizens between ages 13 and 19 were enrolled in secondary school.
 * A tertiary level or lasting 2 years, with students starting at ages 19 or 20. Students must select a  of their pleasing during which they will receive the appropriate education on that field of study. After graduation, students will receive a Basic Education Degree certifying that they have completed all mandatory academic levels, and are therefore elegible to work. As of 2015, 81.4% of all working adult citizens reported having a Basic Education Degree.
 * A final level or with an unfixed duration, for all citizens aged 21 and above. Although university isn't mandatory in Heiban, most students decide to enroll after preparatory school in order to access better jobs, which tend to require a university degree. In order to enroll in university, one must be a Heibanese citizen or holder of a student visa, and pass an entrance exam in the event the person enrolling doesn't have a Basic Education Degree.

Due to Heiban's compulsory military service for all able citizens, both female and male, most students will choose to enroll in the military instead of moving over to preparatory school, in which case they'll receive basic courses at the military academy they've enrolled, and be granted a National Service Degree, which is as valid as a Basic Education Degree when enrolling in university.

Education is considered of the upmost importance in Heiban, and much of the country's culture has shaped the way the education system operates. Students are expected to maintain their schools clean, and faculty must offer green and religious spaces on campus. The profession of teacher is considered sacred in the country, and every citizen is expected to pay their respects to teachers and professors alike. University professors hold one of the highest wages in the country, comparable to doctors and certain positions of government.

Because of its compulsory nature, the Heibanese government has made education public, free, and accessible for all first four levels in every county in the country, while also offering public education at the university level in all major cities, with the University of Yenbai being the largest in the country, and one of the oldest in the region, receiving international students from countries across Kesh. Today, 97.3% of all citizens are or have been enrolled in some form of academic institution, with 81.4% of those being holders of a Basic Education Degree, and 70.2% of a university degree.

Economy

 * Main article: Economy of Heiban, Economic history of Heiban

Transportation

 * Main article: Transportation in Heiban

The transport network in Heiban is one of the most developed in the region, with virtually every single corner of the country being interconnected by some form of transportation accessible to all citizens, the most popular of these being the. Set to finish in 2027, the network of railways that runs across Heiban is one of the largest in the region, connecting every provincial capital and large city with one another, as well as minor cities and towns. Apart from acting as transport methods between cities, a single railway line, known as The Ring, runs along Heiban's coasts and northern international border, creating a circular railway that connects with international train lines driving into Verissi and Gxea, as well as national lines leading to the major urban centres. Although most of Heibanese railway lines remain unaltered from when they were originally built, the undergoing project seeking to modernize the country's transport system will have replaced all long distance carriers for by 2022.

Maritime transportation has grown increasingly common in the past decades, as the population in Heiban's offshore islands grows, and so does the need to move between them and the mainland's financial centers, where most people are employed. are largely the most common method of transport between the islands and the mainland, however, the use of larger ships has become more frequent with the increase in population and the demand for maritime travel, this last one being particularly true as new maritime routes have been created between mainland cities, as is the case with the Nằn Lương-Ngốc Lạt ship route, the most used in the country, carrying nearly 300,000 passengers per day in either direction. Commercial maritime routes have also gained traction, as tourism in the South Kesh Bay increases in popularity. The most common international maritime routes departing from Heiban include those connecting it to Cagayan, Gxea, Naga and Ramay.

Public transportation is the most common way of commuting in the country. According to the 2020 census, 89% of the population used methods of public transportation (bus, subway, ferry, or train) as their main mean of travel. All public transport is overseen and run by the Secretary of Transport, subsidized by the government, and owned by private transport companies, such as Interra (Subways), Tàubờ and HảiPhà (Ferries and ships), or Roadward (Highways). The capital city of Yenbai is come to one of the largest underground networks in the continent, with 30 lines and 405 stations, with the current subway line expansion having an estimated finish date set for 2023, which will add 4 new lines and 43 stations.

, though not as common for everyday citizens, is highly available across most cities in the country. Every provincial capital and urban prefecture is home to an international airport, making for a total of 16, with the largest and most frequented of them being Empress Meng Li International Airport in the capital Yenbai. All international airports offer layover and non-stop long distance flights to Avalonia, Artemia and Kesh, however, Heiban isn't a common layover stop itself due to its location in the southern hemisphere; only a few flights will have layovers in Yenbai or Thầy Đây, with the most common route for layovers in Heiban being those between western Artemia and southern Kesh. National flights are available for nearly all citizens as most minor cities host national airports, with the busiest national air route being that of Yenbai-Jayadi, the two largest cities in the country.

Despite its extensive transport infrastructure, the government of Heiban has managed to balance this with the green policies that have been a national staple for nearly a century. No transport line goes through or near protected areas or national parks, and all city parks and urban green spaces are as far away from the local highways as possible. In 2002, King Zuo Jun put forward a campaign encouraging citizens to use public transport instead of purchasing new cars, this was backed up by the elected government a year later when a new driving laws were put in place in 2003, allowing car owners the usage of their vehicles only a set amount of days per week. Initially, this law would only affect cars, but in 2005 a reform expanded the law's reach to apply to motorcycles, trucks, and tractors.

Demographics
As of 1 January 2020, Heiban had a population of 97.4 million, according to its last census, with an estimated population for 2021 of 99.6 million, project for an annual population growth rate of 0.02%. The state of Heiban's only official language is, spoken by virtually every citizen in the country, with the official percentage of speakers being 99.6%. The country also nationally recognized three other languages to hold official status in certain provinces:, , and. More languages are spoken in the country by relatively sizable communities, particularly those near the international border, however, none of these are officially recognized by the government.

Ethnicity

 * Main article:, , 

Based on the 2020 census, the Secretary of Population and Census of Heiban issued a statistical report that stated that around 56.8% of the population identified as ethnic and linguistically, with cultural ties to the native from the territory that today encompasses Heiban and a portion of its northern neighbors, making it the ethnic majority in the country. These people also declared a full comprehension and use of the in every day life, with the cities reporting the largest number of Nồm citizens being the capital city of Yenbai (9.5 million), Tải Dông (4.5 million), and Tỉnh Hậu (3.4 million).

make up the second largest majority, with the last census reporting that around 37.3% of the population claim ancestral ties to eastern Kesh, in particular the former states of the Kodeshi Empire: Kodeshia and Qingcheng. Virtually all Zhou people in Heiban claim complete understanding of the Heibanese language, with the official rate being at 98.9%, while a remaining 2.1% affirm to only be able to read Heibanese as it uses the. In a similar way, almost all Zhou citizens reported fluency in, with only a small percent of 1.3% not considered fluent, this is often the case with those living in largely Nồm cities. The cities reporting the largest number of Zhou citizens are Yenbai (4.9 million), Quốc Món (3.2 million), and Thiên Thành (900 thousand).

3.1% of the population identifies as ethnically, particularly those living in the southeast of the country. Due to geographical proximity to the southern Kesh Austronesian ethnolinguistic sphere, Heiban has been influenced culturally and demographically by its neighbors. As of 2021, most of the ethnic Ramayan population are first or second generation immigrants, and around 75.6% claim fluency of the Ramayan or languages. The cities that report the largest number of Ramayan citizens are Thầy Đây (2.5 million), Sứ Bất (1 million), and Ngốc Lạt (350 thousand).

The remaining 2.8% identify as other ethnicities from across the continent, but most specifically the South Kesh Bay vicinity. A particularly large ethnic group present in the Ngoài Vực province is that from neighboring Verissi, with its largest diaspora in Heiban existing in the city of Bắc Điền and comprising nearly 100,000 people. There is also a sizable community of around 500,000 people living in the city of Mã Lôi Cao known as "Little Cagayan". The remaining communities with relatively large numbers are those with ties to South Kesh, Prabhat, and Gxea.

Language

 * Main article:, , 

[[File:Languages_of_Heiban.svg|right|thumb|370px|105%

]] At a national level, Heiban's only official language is, spoken by around 99.4% of the population as a first or second language. On the provincial level, the and  languages hold official recognition, and are spoken by around 87.3% and 9.2% of the population as first, second or third languages.

The Heibanese language is the official language in all provinces and prefectures, and is the native language to the region. As the only language in the world of descent, it has been categorized as a "language isolate" by certain linguists in the country. However, as a result of the continuous Kodeshi presence in the territory for nearly five centuries during much of its early history, modern Heibanese finds itself severely influenced by and Zhounese, with the most noticeable example of this being the adoption of the  as main form of writing the language in the country. Nonetheless, the two languages remain mutually unintelligible, and have grown apart over the years due to the geographical distance between their home territories, with Heibanese having adopted Ramayan and older Guoyu terms in its daily usage. Today, the Heibanese language has recently adopted the as this one becomes more common in the continent, and particularly within the region, being used in nearby Cagayan, Naga, and Ramay.

The Zhounese language is the official language of three provinces: Phu Nhím, Bây Quả, and Nam Quá, where it is spoken by about 6.4 million people as a first language. The language was introduced in the 11th century, however, it only became widely spoken among the native population during the end of the 12th century. Since then, the Zhounese language was the official language of the territory until 1840, with the creation of the new Heibanese state. Today, it is the native language of the Monarch of Heiban and their family, and only very few citizens have Zhounese names. Linguistically, Zhounese is more similar to traditional Guoyu rather than its modern counterpart, having developed from the Guoyu spoken in the 11th century and away from the Guoyu-speaking countries of Kesh, the language was never "modernized", and today its script shares more characters with Heibanese than it does with Guoyu.

Lastly, the Ramayan language is the official language of the Ðông Sự, and Khá Liễu-Mở Lai provinces in southeastern Heiban. The language was introduced near the beginning of the Common Era (CE), as civilizations in the region began trading with one another, and the presence of the Ramayan language in the region that encompasses Ramay and southern Heiban increased, however, it remained secondary to Heibanese as the later was more prominent in the amount of speakers. During the vassalization of the territory under Kodeshi rule, the language was pushed further south, almost entirely disappearing from the country, with the number of speakers reaching as low as 50,000 during the 16th century. During the beginning of the 19th century, the language reappeared in most of the country's southeastern cities, and today is the native language of nearly 2 million people.

Communities of linguistic minorities exist along the country's northern borders, and certain neighborhoods in some of the country's largest cities have entire populations of speakers of minority languages, like it's the case of Mã Lôi Cao and Bắc Điền. At school, depending on the province, Zhounese and Ramayan are taught compulsorily as secondary languages, and many schools in provinces with two official languages are.

Religion

 * Main article: Religions of Heiban

The Constitution of Heiban acknowledges and recognized only two religions to hold official status in the country:, and. Although is legal in Heiban, only citizens born abroad are allowed to identify with any unofficial religion, whereas Heibanese-born citizens are required by law to adhere to one of the national faiths or self-identify as. All religious identification is then added to each citizen's national ID. As of January of 2021, about 80.3% of the population identifies as Buddhist, 10.7% as Daoist, and 7% as irreligious, with a remaining 2% adhering to other religions, particularly and. Heibanese Buddhism and Daoism are passed down from mother to child, meaning that until the child comes of age, they must adhere to the same religion as their mother.

Prior to the integration of Heiban into the Zhou Empire as a vassal state, the territory was home to several small local religions, traditional to Nồm culture. Many of these religions have been long lost to time, and today only a fraction of the population, particularly in the province of Ngoài Vực, still adheres to traditional Nồm beliefs. However, many traditions rooted in these ancient religions, such as the preservation of wildlife and the arrange of society as a matriarchy, have been adopted as national policies and integrated into Heibanese culture, even if not as the religious symbols they once were.

Daoism was introduced in the early 13th century, with the arrival and settlement of Kodeshi officials and populaton, and forced on the native Heibanese population in an attempt to fully integrate the territory into Imperial Kodeshia. Daoism remained the only official religion in the country for nearly five centuries after its integration, however, nearly half of the native population refused to practice it as an act of resistance. Part of this resistance to Daoism came into play in the late 19th century, with the introduction of Buddhism through missionaries arriving to Southern Kesh as part of the Samot-Seratof Empire's expansion into the region. Much of the native Heibanese population found refuge in the newly introduced religion, and by 1920, more than half of the population had been converted, including several members of the Imperial Family who not only had taken a like to the faith, but also believed that it would bring Heiban as much good fortune as it had brought the Artemian empire in their eyes. Today, Buddhists represent the largest percent of the population, and Buddhist religious symbols have become an equivalent to Heibanese nationalism

As part of its full integration of Buddhism as a national religion, the government and monarchy put forward a set of five sacred laws known as Heibanese Core Beliefs, based on Buddhist precepts and created with the goal of ensuring the religious teachings of Buddhism in every day life. The Core Beliefs are the following:
 * 1) To abstain from onslaught on breathing beings: This includes the acts of  or, ordering or causing someone else to kill another human being, , , , and in recent times it’s been used to promote the practice of  and  nationwide. Loopholes have been built around this belief in order to justify the , which can be dictated by the Monarch of Heiban or the Ladies of Justice. Crimes performed against this belief are punishable with the death penalty.
 * 2) To abstain from taking what is not given: This includes all forms of, , , , , , ,  and . Crimes performed against this belief are punishable with imprisonment.
 * 3) To abstain from misconduct concerning sense-pleasures: This includes, with the legal  being 21 years old. Crimes performed against this belief are punishable with imprisonment or the death penalty.
 * 4) To abstain from false speech: This includes the criminal offense of, , , as well as any form of defamation of the government and its ideology through written or spoken speech. All published material that doesn’t align with the government’s constructed image is banned or censored, and punishable with imprisonment or the death penalty.
 * 5) To abstain from alcoholic drink or drugs that are an opportunity for heedlessness: This includes the consumption and distribution, whether through selling or buying, of .  and  have been excluded from this belief for several decades. Crimes performed against this belief are punishable with imprisonment.

The Protector of the Faith of Heiban is the person in charge of interpreting and protecting the country's national religions, as well as deeming which practices are to be considered moral or immoral. Traditionally, this de jure title is held by the Monarch of Heiban, however, for several decades now, the de facto position of Protector of the Faith has been divided into two: a Daoist Protector and a Buddhist one, and assigned to monks by their respective temples. Any religious order given by the Monarch or the de facto Protectors of the Faith is then reported to the Head Monks, who are the head of the Temple of Tiền Lúc (Buddhist), and the Temple of Cao Thị (Daoist), and are the people in charge of spreading the religious teachings to the rest of the nation. In recent times, the sovereign has used their power as Protector of the Faith to shape and reinterpret Buddhist teachings as a way to justify changes in the Heibanese law, the most recent and well-known example of this is the creation of the aforementioned core beliefs in 1993.

Sexuality and gender

 * Main article: Women's rights in Heiban, LGBTQ+ rights in Heiban

Since its inception as a in 1840, the state of Heiban has been a self-declared, a tradition that dates back to the times of the Nồm states of the peninsula, prior to contact with Kodeshia was established. As such, much of the country's fundamental laws around inheritance, marriage, religion, politics, and personal freedoms, have always included, and in certain instances favored, women. Virtually all forms of inheritance, including that of in Heiban's own Royal Family, are  in nature, meaning that are passed down from mother to daughter, or son in some instances, but never from the father. In a similar fashion, all citizens are receptors upon birth of their maternal surname and maternal religion. The country has a ceremonial, without any government functions, known as the Matriarch of Heiban, a hereditary position that serves an entirely symbolical function, reintroduced to the country in 1845 as a nod to the ancient Matriarchs of Heiban. in the country have not been contested for nearly two centuries, and women are often more encouraged than men to apply for positions in government, finances, and science. Because women in Heiban are, culturally, expected to act as both providers and nurturers, new mothers are constitutionally entitled to 52 weeks of paid, which can sometimes be contested for more. A does exist in the country, where men earn on average 68% of what women are paid for the same work, because of this, it is not uncommon for single mothers to move and raise their children together, as their salary combined is oftentimes larger than that of a mother and a father. This has increased with the years, leading to a new family composition by the name of "Maternal co-parenting".

Maternal co-parenting saw its first and biggest boom in the early 90s, when about 60% of single mothers across the country reported to be living in a shared house with another single mother. Eventually, this resulted in many of these single mothers living together forging to acquire the benefits that came with legal unions in areas such as hospital, rent, ownership, taxes, and social security. At the time however, though not illegal, there was no part of the constitution that mentioned same-sex unions and relationships, resulting in an increasing demand, in 1994, for same-sex marriage to be included in the constitution. A bill was presented to Parliament in August of 1995 that would allow for same-sex marriage nationwide. The bill was passed on 6 September 1995, however, it was only made to include legal unions between two women, as men were still expected to procreate and take part in heterosexual marriages. This was contested when in 2001, after the passing of Queen Wu Bao, the country received its first king in history, King Zuo Jun, who, a few months after his coronation, was confirmed to be in a relationship with another man, and presented a bill to Parliament to extend the legal status of same-sex marriage to be applied to men. This bill was passed on 16 October 2003, and was revised to also include the recognition of same-sex unions that had taken place in other countries. have never been debated in Heiban, as both of the state religions, and, and native traditional beliefs show no indicators of intolerance toward same-sex relations. Based on ancient records, it is estimated that in early Nồm civilizations, men and women alike would marry people of the same gender to raise children together in the absence of one of the biological parents, however, this has yet to be confirmed, due to major linguist differences that arise during translation. Queer people in Heiban are often respected and not discriminated against, particularly those of older generations. Exceptions exist, particularly in the south of the country where Ramayan and Zhou beliefs are more prominent. In 2017, the LGBTQ+ organization "Heibanese Queer Front" conducted an online survey about queer people in Heiban that managed to gather nearly 100,000 responses across the country, and out of this responses, 89% of queer surveyors affirmed to feeling safe in non-queer spaces, 87% of non-queer surveyors claim to not be bothered by LGBTQ+ presence in Heiban, and 94% of all surveyors agreed when asked "is Heiban LGBTQ+ friendly?". Since 2003, laws have been created to protect queer youth, and in 2009 the Ministry of Education called for a zero-tolerance policy to be put in place in all academic institutions. LGBTQ+ parades are held every year in the month of October in the country's largest cities, with the one held in the capital city of Yenbai being one of the largest in the continent.

There are records of people existing and being openly present in Heibanese society that go as far back as the 3rd century. It was not uncommon for men to wear women's clothes, as these were oftentimes produced in larger quantity, and in more recent times have been considered more comfortable to wear during the country's summer months. Men were encouraged to wear make up and keep their hair long, as it was associated with femininity, and in turn considered positive. During the 13th century, certain men would want accessibility to women's jobs, and for this they would begin to live as women. These practices were severely pushed back with the introduction of Zhou values, and made illegal during most of the 17th century. However, as with many other early Heibanese traditions, transgenderism became reintegrated in the country during the 19th century, and today, Heiban is one of the countries to perform the largest amount of (SRS), receiving patients from all over the world.

Health

 * Main article: Health in Heiban

Health and medical care in Heiban is overseen by the Ministry of Health, along with the many non-ministerial government agencies, with total national expenditures on health amounting to 25.9% of the total GDP in 2018. Heiban's healthcare system employs nearly 13.4 million people across the entire country, in all areas of medicine (nursery, surgery, military, pediatric, etc.). Since the 1990s, the Heibanese government has put extensive focus on the healthcare system, increasing the budget of the Ministry of Health from 5.3% of the GDP in 2001, to 12.% in 2004. This, in turn, has resulted in many medical breakthroughs taking place throughout the years in many of Heiban's laboratories, and the development and high end technology to be used for both treatment and research. As of 2020, one of Heiban's main exports are pharmaceutical products, such as aspirin, vaccines, and diabetes medication, as well as medical equipment, such as microscopes, ambulances, and gatch beds.

Since 2006, Heiban has had public and universal healthcare, which all citizens and foreigners have constitutional right to access. It's estimated that around 63% of the population are reliant on the public healthcare system, while the remaining 37% are possessors of a medical insurance, oftentimes provided by the private companies to their employees and their immediate family. There are nearly 2,000 public hospitals across Heiban, most of them located in the provinces of Miền Vua, Ðông Sự, and Ngoài Vực. Something that has been criticized several times by the general public, is the religious detachment from medicine in the country, as almost no hospital or clinic in Heiban has a praying space, and virtually all medical research is conducted without regard to religious morality.

Medical teaching in Heiban has grown in importance, particularly during the 21st century, as classes such as First Aid, Nutrition, and Anatomy, go from optional to compulsory status in most high schools across the country. As of 2022, university medical students amount to nearly 27 million.

Culture

 * Main article: Culture of Heiban

Heiban is a nation, drawing aspects of ancient traditions and customs from her native Nồm population, southern Kesh communities in the form of Ramayan, and eastern Keshian and Kodeshi elements introduced into the country circa the 13th century and onwards. Heibanese culture in itself is considered a hybrid mixture of these three regional customs, all of which have at the same time been influenced by the recent adoption of as the national religion alongside  in the 20th century. In 2018, the Ministry of Culture issued a report proclaiming the 'cultural unity' of Heiban, stating that nearly 98% of the population adheres, follows and respects national cultural traditions, with only a rare few, usually members of immigrant families, not partaking in Heiban's customs. This is attributed to the work of the Royal Guard of Traditions (Heibanese: 保衛傳統𧵑皇家; Bảo vệ truyền thống của Hoàng gia), a branch of the military created with the purpose of protecting and reinforcing the practice of Heibanese culture above all else. The Royal Guard of Traditions was established as an act of cultural protectionism in the 20th century as a result of mass immigration waves from other Keshian states following the events of the Grand Campaigns and the Great Kesh War, and in an attempt to ensure Heibanese culture wouldn't be tampered by the influence of immigrants and neighboring nations.

Art

 * Main article: Heibanese art

Heibanese art includes both age-old art forms developed through centuries and recently developed contemporary art. Its origins have been very much influenced by Nồm art and by scenes from Kodeshi epics, with the most recent addition of Buddhist influence in the most contemporary art forms. Traditional Nồm arts started as a style of visual narrative through paintings in stone, that depicted subjects in two dimensions without perspective, with the size of each element in the picture reflecting its degree of importance. In this technique the main elements are isolated from each other by space, eliminating the intermediate ground that would otherwise imply perspective. This art form was later influenced by the Zhou presence in Heiban, resulting in the development of the (Heibanese: 𡥵𤞖䏾; Con Rối Bóng) that consisted of creating an artistic narrative of tales and key elements of Zhou influence while using Nồm art techniques. Today, the most frequent narrative subjects from paintings include Kodeshi and Ramayan folklore, Buddhist and Daoist tales, as well as fictional Nồm stories that have been accostumed to the modern age.

Much of modern Heibanese sculpture almost exclusively depicts images of the Buddha, differentiating itself from the Samot style by mixing sculpting techniques used for the depiction of much more traditional Daoist art brought from Imperial Kodeshia. Wood and stone are the most common materials used for traditional Heibanese sculpting, especially among Nồm people whose ancestors would almost exclusively make sculptures out of carved wood. Between the 12th and 19th century, the people of Heiban developed a refined stone sculpting art and architectural influence by the immigrant Zhou civilization. The Temple of Tiền Lúc is among the most famous examples of this practice.

Entertainment

 * Main article: Cinema in Heiban, Heibanese music

Film
The film industry in Heiban is one of the largest in Southern Kesh, with the five largest film studios in the country spending an average of $15.4 billion annually. Most of the movies produced in the country specialize in fictional genres (such as sci-fi and horror), with only a few historical movies making it to the big screen, which can only happen if they meet a specific quota for fictional and real events portrayed. This is due to Heibanese law prohibiting the distribution of false speech, as one of the country's Core Beliefs, which can be considered anything that doesn't align with the current government's ideology (i.e. the defamation of Imperial Kodeshia in film, as all of the Royal Family of Heiban is of Kodeshi descendance). Foreign movies, especially those produced in neighboring nations, are always put under revision to ensure they don't go against the law.

Films were first introduced in the country in the early 20th century, after its popularization in Artemia and Eastern Kesh. The production of film didn't take place in Heiban until a few years later, with the first Heibanese film Im Lặng Là Vàng, directed by Lạc Trọng Chính, having been released 18 March 1914. The mute, black and white, 85-minutes feature film took 7 months to film and it costed almost $3.2 million, or $40.6 million when adjusted for inflation. It was acclaimed by the critiques and the public alike. As the first domestic film, it was the one to set the standard for the Heibanese film industry during most of the 20th century in terms of production, script, and themes. Heibanese cinema is characterized by its use of unsettling plot devices and dialogue, as well as big expressions from its actors. The most popular genre in the country is horror or thriller, which has become a staple of modern Heibanese culture.

Heibanese TV shows are usually much lighter than movies in themes and production, with the most popular being comedies and musicals. Animated shows domestically produced are extremely uncommon, with the latest of these being Hà My's Jungle, created in 1999. Instead, the country imports animated movies and TV shows produced abroad, which are then dubbed to Heibanese or subtitled. Aside from scripted shows, the silver screen is also characterized by, usually hosted or hosting Heibanese celebrities, and comprising different segments like sketches, games, and interviews within a same episode. Variety shows have received overwhelmingly good critiques and receptions since they first aired in 1990, and are usually considered as the main way to keep up with mainstream media in the country. The most well-known of these shows is Thật là vui thú!, which in 2016 hosted an episode with King Zuo Jun.

Music
Traditional Heibanese music takes considerable influence from Kodeshi musical elements and mixes them with aspects of the native Nồm population. String instruments, introduced and adopted in the 6th century, are at the core of what could be considered the national music, found in nearly all pieces of folk and classical music. The national instrument, the, is a two-stringed instrument, whose strings were formerly made of and are today frequently made of  or , and though it's much commonly found in traditional Heibanese music, it's made its way into modern songs fairly often. Historically, music in Heiban has been a form of of the many different folk tales native to Nồm people, only later introducing stories of Kodeshi origin. However, and particularly during the Vassalization of Heiban, people would use song lyrics as means of communication, especially when it came to heeding warnings or spreading news without the authorities founding out. One of the most popular of these is the song Kẻ Thù Bí Mật, translating to "the snake in the grass", famously used by Nồm people in the 14th century to indicate that a hidden Kodeshi official was approaching. With the so called "Heibanese Liberation" in the 1900s, the national music scene was subjected to a major lyrical shift, as songs with more uplifting messages, such as ballads and love songs, began to appear across the country with more frequency. This is oftentimes referred to as historians as "the Rebirth", attributed to the improvement of the country's political and social climate by the government reform a few decades prior. In the 1930s, with the popularization of film and television, the country had began to see its first broadcasts containing, usually aired in between shows or movies. Originally, music videos would just display the singer and sometimes a small band behind them throughout the duration of the song, but as time went on, and particularly during the 1950s, music videos started to incorporate stories and plots that were usually being narrated by the singer through lyrics. The 1960s and 1970s in Heiban saw the rise of international songs making their way to the homes of the general population, and especially those sung in and  became particularly well-received.

The standard for the modern Heibanese music was set in the 1980s and 1990s, with quick outspread of and, both of which have become some of the most popular genres in the present day. During the late 1990s and early 2000s, the country became witness for its largest wave of fanaticism among the younger population, product of the newly introduced concept of pop groups, boy bans, and girl groups, that would usually market to a specific group of the population. Today, these artists are largely among the most famous in Heiban and internationally, particularly in the Southern Kesh region, having developed the concept of "Heibanese pop", and those who fall under this musical term and genre make up by far the largest revenue out of any other, contributing up to $8 billion to the country's GDP each year. Music festivals in Heiban are frequent and many have been adopted as national traditions, with the largest of them being the Lotus Festival, taking place in the city of Giả Phố, in the Biên Giới province, every May 14th during Heiban Day, meant to celebrate Empress Jin Jin and national pride.

Cuisine

 * Main article: Heibanese cuisine

Heibanese cuisine is one of the few cultural elements of the country to openly integrate aspects of many different civilizations and cultures throughout the continent. Much of what is considered traditional Heibanese cuisine can find its roots in the culmination between Kodeshi and Nồm foods and cooking styles. Many of the Kodeshi culinary customs and values have been adopted by Heibanese people, such as the different cooking styles and the different usages of food. Noodles, brought to Heiban during its time as a Kodeshi vassal state, have become a staple in Heibanese cuisine and can be found in much of the country's most famous dishes, and the Kodeshi fast-food chain Zhenkekou is one of the most well-known and popular restaurant chains in Heiban.

Nồm cuisine finds its way into modern Heibanese cuisine through the integration of ingredients such as oranges, bread, coconuts, rice, and particularly mushrooms. Mushrooms are the most prominent food in Heibanese cuisine, and can find themselves as the main ingredient in almost all of the country's most popular foods, snacks or desserts, including the national dish Nấm Tiệc (埝席), which consists of mushroom heads stuffed with chopped mushroom, peppers, cheese, and onions. For decades now, each province in Heiban has had their own regional approach to Nấm Tiệc, each stuffed with different ingredients, and today, eleven versions of the national dish exist, one for each province. Aside from mushrooms, the usage of fruits, particularly in desserts, is considered a Nồm culinary tradition, with fruits such as mango, orange, coconut, bananas, guava, and pineapple being among the most commonly used for both savory and sweet dishes.

A peculiarity of Heibanese cuisine is the almost complete avoidance of meet, a direct result of the adoption of both Daoism and Buddhism as state religions. Since the 14th century, many Heibanese people, of Nồm, Kodeshi and Ramayan origin, follow a strictly vegetarian or vegan diet, which reflects in the population's consumption of meat. Heiban is among the smallest producers and importers of meat in the world, and many non-vegetarian mainstream foods are usually made with a vegetarian alternative. Fish has been an exception for the most part, particularly in the Peninsulas and Isles region of the country, where most agricultural workers rely on fishing for a living, as the land is not as arable as the rest of the provinces.

Popular Heibanese dishes include mushroom pastries (埝𠮾; Nấm Ngọt), mango ice cream, fried rice noodles (炒米粉; Sao Mai Phấn), coconut and orange coffee, and chocolate-covered crickets (巧克力𡥵啼; Sôcôla Con Dế).