Ostboland

Ostboland (: Östberige) officially known as The Kingdom of Ostboland (: Kungariket Östberige) is a country in Northern Artemia that spans along the Skagerrak Straits and into the center of the continent. Ostboland has a total land area of 897,550 square kilometers (346,546 sq mi) and a population of 35,893,202 (as of the 2016 Census). Ostboland is bordered by Northern Veikaia to the south and west, Modrovia to the south, Gardarike to the southeast, and Ringerike across the Skagerrak Straits. North Ostboland's predominately sub-arctic climate is characterized by long, very cold winters and mild summers, while the southern regions of the country are more temperate with longer summers. Northwest Ostboland in particular, is a sparsely populated region covered in dense, whereas the south is primarily agricultural.

Ostboland is a state with a  and developed. The current King of Ostboland is Christian III, reigning since 1998, however, since 2016 the nation has been under a given the King's  from a mental illness. The current Prime Minister is Karl Järnberg of the National Center Party, which has been in government for most of the past 30 years. Politically, Ostboland is also known for its large, but peaceful movement headed by several  federations. This lead to reforms in local government in 2014, which some powers to the nation's 15 counties.

Ostboland has a highly developed economy with a large, providing  and  for its citizens. The country's primary industries include forestry products, machinery, electronics, telecommunications, and financial services, with a heavy emphasis on. Ostboland ranks highly on measures of economic competitiveness, social equality, rule of law, civil liberties, and.

Ostboland maintains an official foreign policy of, while being an active participant in several and fostering inter-parliamentary co-operation with other  nations.

Government & Politics
The Kingdom of Ostboland is a  and. According to the Constitution of Ostboland, adopted on January 29, 1808, power is divided among the, , and branches of government. In accordance with the Constitution, executive power is exercised by the Monarch upon ministerial advice. The King of Ostboland is the with primarily representative and  functions. Constitutionally, the Monarch wields, which must be exercised through the Cabinet. Depending on the Monarch's personality and relationship with their ministers, a individual Monarch may wield tremendous political influence.

Most are in fact exercised by the elected Government. The Government is comprised of the Council of Ministers (Ministerrådet), otherwise known as the Cabinet and a Prime Minister (Statsminister). The Cabinet is generally comprised of between 10 and 20, state secretaries, and. The Prime Minister is the and leader of the Cabinet - who is appointed or dismissed by the King on the advice of the Riksdag. The Prime Minister, in turn traditionally nominates the Cabinet, drawn from members of the same or  of parties. Traditionally, the Prime Minister is the leader of their in the Riksdag. The Prime Minister and the Cabinet, are for the conduct of day to day  and are responsible to the Riksdag. As a single party often lack the power to form a government its own, Ostboland is routinely run by.

in Ostboland officially vested in a Parliament, the Riksdag, and an unofficial : the State Council (Statsrådet). The 401 members of the Riksdag are via a system of  for a maximum 4 year term. Of the 100 members of the State Council, 80 are chosen by an electoral college to serve 8 year terms (with 20 elected every 2 years), and 20 are by the monarch (upon advice). The Riksdag initiates primary legislation, controls, and may appoint or dismiss the government. The State Council's legislative powers are limited; in the event of disagreement between the two chambers, the Riksdag has the final say. require a two-thirds majority from both bodies, followed by a public.

Judicial powers are vested in a Supreme Court and a system of legal from the national to the county and municipal level. The Supreme Court of 20 judges and one. The Prime Minister nominates Supreme Court justices from a list of judges currently serving on the. These nominees must then be approved by the Riksdag and formally confirmed by the Monarch sitting in the State Council. for are formally appointed by the Monarch on the advice of the Prime Minister or Justice Minister. Unique to Ostboland's constitutional structure is a body known as the Council of Revision (Revisionsrådet), which acts as the in the nation, and officially advises the Monarchy on the use of the. The Council of Revision consists of some Supreme Court Justices, ex-Justice Ministers, and appointed. The Council's main activity is to rule on the of Riksdag legislation (and whether it should be ), and/or the legality of  acts. The Council of Review receives cases submitted to it by the Riksdag, the Supreme Court, or via citizen.

Economy
Ostboland has a, characterized by a high level of government-provided services (e.g. health care, child care and education services), large , efficient government , and a high dependence on. was over $55,500 in 2020, with at about 2.8% and  at just over 5.25%. After taxes and public transfers, in Ostboland is low compared to the regional average. The Ostben economy ranks highly on indices measuring, , and ease of doing business. Ostboland has a vibrant start-up culture, with representing almost 13.5% of Ostben companies.

Ostben are considered flexible by international standards, and are largely self-regulated by  actors. Trade unions, employers' associations and collective agreements cover large portions of the nation's workforce. As much as 56% of the workforce in Ostbolan belonging to a union or. The prominent role of and high rate of coverage have reduced the state's active involvement in. For example, Ostboland has one of the highest rates on the continent, but no official. The government actively promotes policies between management and employees: mandating company works councils or employees serving on corporate boards. Given the country's active movement,  are popular and incentivized. The Ostboland Co-Operative Alliance (OKA) is one of the largest in Anterra.

The Ostben economy is dominated by the, which comprises 68% of GDP, followed by comprising 25% and the  less than 7% of GDP. The nation's top industries include, forestry, , , , , food processing, and. The country's main export goods include lumber,, , , , , , , and. Ostboland is one of the largest exporters of commercial. Deregulation, globalization, and high R&D investment have been key productivity drivers over the past decade. Regulations of and  are relatively light. Starting a business takes an average of 7 days, with no capital requirements. Ostben banks are among the securest in Anterra and bank privacy customs are notoriously tight.

As a medium-sized, Ostboland is heavily reliant on international trade and adheres to a broadly , with exports and imports making up approximately 66% of. The country actively purses and  agreements with many other countries. Ostbolands top trading partners are XXXX, XXXX, XXXX, XXXX, and XXXX.

The Nordshamn Stock Exchange is the country's leading, and hosts the main Ostben stock index: the AB 100, a weighted index of the country's top 100 firms.

Ostboland's national currency is the Ostben Krona (OSK) or Okie. The issuance of the Krona and the conduct of the nation's is regulated by the Royal Bank of Ostboland or Riksbank. Founded in 1671, the Riskbank it is one of the region's oldest. The Riksbank's has a mandate to stabilize nominal economic growth, which it achieves by adopting a of 4.5% each year. Since the adoption of its current policy, the Riksbank is judged as one of the top performing in Anterra. Inflation has averaged between 1.5 and 2% in the past decade, and as of Q1 2020, the Ostben economy had gone over 25 years since it was last technically in. Bank failures or liquidations are still regarded as highly rare events.

The 10 largest Ostben companies (by turnover) in 2018 were: XXXX, HEJA (furniture), XXXX, XXXX, XXXX, XXXX, XXXX, XXXX, XXXX, and XXXX.