Heiban

Heiban (: 海傍; : Hebuan), officially the Monarchical State of Heiban, is a country in southwestern Kesh, bordered to the west and southwest by the Iapetus Ocean, to the east and southeast by the South Kesh Bay, to the north by Veressi, and sharing maritime borders with Ramay and South Kesh. Heiban covers a total area of 929,097 square kilometers (358,726 square miles) and has a population of around 99.6 million. The capital and largest city in the country is Qifeng. Heiban is a.

Heiban is a and  nation with ancestral ties to southern and eastern Kesh. Ramayan people groups were the first and only inhabitants of the peninsula for much of the country’s early history, until the arrival of Kodeshi merchants in the early 11th century. Heiban, formerly known as Pelankan, entered a trading agreement with Imperial Kodeshia not long after their arrival in the region, and gave permission for Kodeshi workers to station in their territory. Relationships between both states remained civilized and peaceful until the 13th century, when the Zhou Dynasty took over the power of Imperial Kodeshia. Taking advantage of Pelankan’s weak military and less advanced technology, the entire state was absorbed by the Zhou Empire as a vassal state, replacing the previously stationed Kodeshi merchants for political entities in the form of vassals, and for almost an entire century, Pelankan became known as the Kodeshi Vassal State of Heiban.

As a vassal state, was made the official language, and  was brought from Kodeshia to be taught and practiced by the citizens of Heiban. During this time period, Heiban also received several immigrants from Imperial Kodeshia, most of which would become ancestors to much of the modern population. The Ramayan language, customs and religious beliefs were prohibited by the Kodeshi authorities, resulting in the creation of many underground traditionalist groups formed by members of Pelankan and Ramayan families seeking to keep their traditions alive. Toward the end of Heiban’s time as a vassal state, all of the newer generations had been raised on Kodeshi values and traditions, and many children spoke Guoyu as a primary language. With the fall of the Zhou Dynasty in Imperial Kodeshia, and the presence of rebel groups in Qingcheng, Heiban seized the opportunity to regain its independence, and by 1532, the country was no longer a vassal state. However, in spite of this, the Kodeshi vassal with the help of the armed forces stationed in Heiban took control over the peninsula, and self declared the Leader of the Nation, claiming the title of King, and thus creating the Monarchy of Heiban. The country remained an absolute monarchy under the name of 'Heiban' for the remainder of the 16th century, and in an attempt to maintain Kodeshi values more strict laws were put in place in order to ensure the erasure of Ramayan culture.

At the early start of the 17th century, Heiban entered a period of civil unrest known as the Ramayan Revolution, in which insurgent groups, anti-monarchist movements, and Ramayan nationalists would attempt to dethrone the Kodeshi monarchy in order to place a Ramayan head of state instead. Although all rebellious movements and attempts at overthrowing the foreign government had failed, in order to avoid future conflict and to gain the population’s trust, the monarchy gave way to a new system of government in the form of a semi-constitutional monarchy, creating the position of Grand Secretariat and establishing the Constitution of Heiban. Soon after, the country had shifted almost entirely, and entered a long period of peace and economic prosperity, as Ramayan and Guoyu citizens started to become equals in the eyes of the government and society. Heiban managed to hold its own against several colonial powers reaching the area all throughout the 18th, 19th and 20th century. In the early 20th century, Buddhism was adopted during the arrival of the Samot-Seratofian Empire in southern Kesh.

Today, Heiban is a newly industrialized country, and one of the most developed in southern Kesh. Over the last few decades, the Heibanese government has embraced early Ramayan 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 matriarchal state, 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 medical, research and engineering industries, and as of 2020 had a GDP by purchasing power parity (PPP) of $2,400 trillion.

Etymology
Heiban (/hɛiːbɑːn/; he-ee-BAN; : 海傍, : Hǎibàng ; : Hebuan), officially the Monarchical State of Heiban (Guoyu: 海傍君主國, tr.: Hǎibàng Jūnzhǔguó ; Ramayan: Negara Monarki Hebuan), is a country in southwestern Kesh, bordered to the west and southwest by the Iapetus Ocean, to the east and southeast by the South Kesh Bay, to the north by Verissi, and sharing maritime borders with Ramay and South Kesh.

Etymology of Heiban
The name "Heiban" comes from the Guoyu word hǎibàng (海傍, meaning ‘seafront’ ), and it is thought to be a nod to the main geographic feature of the country as a peninsular state being surrounded by bodies of water on three cardinal directions. However, some linguists and historians believe the term hǎibàng to be only one part of a complete name, xīhǎibàng (西海傍; meaning 'western seafront' ). This theory comes from old trade agreements between the Zhou Empire and Heiban written in Classical Guoyu, where the latter is oftentimes referred to as 'Xihaibang'; however, due to the antiquity of the documents and the linguistic differences, it is yet unclear whether or not the prefix 'west-' was part of Heiban's name or a mere location indicator.

History

 * Main article: History of Heiban

Prehistory

 * Main article: Prehistoric Heiban

Data suggesting of the presence of homo-sapiens in modern-day Heiban dates back to 35,000 BCE, and it is estimated modern human habitation in northeastern Heiban dates back to around 15,000 BCE, as evidenced by the oldest remains found in the country. These first inhabitants, believed to have migrated into Heiban from southeastern and central Kesh, organized themselves into hunting societies, particularly focused on fishing and only occasionally resorting to gathering, as signified by the discovery of prehistoric fishing poles, and the isotopic analysis made on the skeletons dating back to this time period. Though scholars estimate these early humans to have migrated south at some point, no concrete evidence of early human settlements nearing this time period has been discovered, with the oldest remains found in southern Heiban only dating back to 6,000 BCE in direct correlation to the Austronesian migration wave from southern Kesh; however, it is hypothesized that these late Austronesian people groups are responsible for the destruction of any and all form of evidence of early human settlements in southern Heiban as part of their migration northward.

The end of the Stone Age in Heiban was characterized by the development of agricultural practices and small settlements toward the year 8,500 BCE, along the peninsula's eastern side. These communities formed by the first modern humans in the area have been assigned the name of Menyrang by modern day historians. Although not much is known about the Menyrang beyond certain point, the remains of small sailing ships and large canoes found along the Heibanese eastern seaboard, dating back to the Neolithic, has set scholars into considering this a sailing community, hence the given name Menyrang (from the Ramayan words menyiram, meaning ‘water’, and orang, meaning ‘person').

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 at the head of which sits the Grand Secretariat, a rotative position similar to that of. The Constitution of Heiban, also known as the ‘Supreme Law of the Land’ (Guoyu: 土地最高法; Ramayan: Undang-undang Tertinggi Tanah) 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 in the Monarch of Heiban as the head of state, of the armed forces, and Protector of the Faith for life or until. The title of Queen or King of Heiban is ; there have only been three Kings in the country’s history as an independent state, with the current 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 will serve as the substitute monarch in the Heir’s stead until this one comes of age.

The head of government is the Royal Council, under the direction of the Grand Secretariat, a between the ten members of Council. The Grand Secretariat will act as the main advisor to the Monarch and will handle specific political affairs on their own; the order in which the Council members will take over the position of Grand Secretariat is random and established upon the Council formation. The members of the Royal Council are drawn from Parliament by the Monarch themselves, usually by recommendation of members from former Councils. The Royal Council acts as the main advisory body for the Monarch, who, as mandated by the Constitution, is the only political entity not entirely bound by the Supreme Law, hence the semi-constitutional status of Heiban’s monarchy, and holds reserved powers. Each Royal 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.

Upon the first Grand Secretariat’s term, each newly formed Royal Council will decide on people to appoint as Secretaries of Heiban, who are in charge of running the many departments known as. Each Secretariat has the responsibility of overseeing and handling different matters of government and reporting back to the Monarch weekly through the Royal Council. The Secretariats are assigned a specific annual budget proportional to their individual importance and contributions to the country; it is up to the Secretaries to decide in which way to spend this budget and report any financial movement to the Royal Treasury.



Secretariats of Heiban as of 2021: Secretariat of Internal Affairs, Secretariat of Foreign Affairs, Secretariat of Defense, Secretariat of Economy (also known as the Royal Treasury), Secretariat of Labour, Employment and Social Security, Secretariat of Justice, Secretariat of Transport, Secretariat of Infrastructure, Secretariat of Health and Wellbeing, Secretariat of Education, Secretariat of Agriculture, Livestock and Fishing, Secretariat of Culture, Secretariat of Science, Technology and Innovation, Secretariat of Environment, Climate and Biodiversity, Secretariat of Tourism and Entertainment, and Secretariat of Communication and Press.

The Secretaries will later on go to form the People’s Cabinet, a political body formed by the Secretaries and the Grand Secretariat, designed for the head of government to receive all updates pertaining to the different areas of politics handled by the Secretaries, and be advised on their respective fronts. The position of Secretary of Heiban is bound to the Royal Council, meaning each of them will have a term of 5 years, after which they will either be replaced or kept for an extra term upon decision of the newest Council. Secretaries 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 works under a formed by a  known as the Parliament, that meets in the Palace of Laws (Guoyu: 法宮; Ramayan: Istana Undang-Undang), in the capital city of Qifeng. The Heibanese Legislature is formed by the (MP), and is tasked with the responsibility of proposing and ultimately creating new laws; the two restrictions put on the Legislature, are the acts of  and dissolving government, both powers reserved by the Monarch of Heiban.



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 April 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 April 2nd. All are excluded by law.

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 16 and 20, and citizens living or staying abroad during the election period; not voting during elections, without presenting a written permit or excuse, is punishable with a financial sanction. 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 (Guoyu: 女义; Ramayan: Wanita Keadilan); this is the only position of government inaccessible to men, as stated in the Constitution. Ladies of Justice are granted a 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 Qifeng, 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’; 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.

Administrative divisions

 * Main article: ''Administrative divisions of Heiban

The Monarchical State of Heiban is divided into three levels of administration, and two special categories. The largest of these are the provinces of Heiban of which there are eleven, they are divided into eight prefectures each, making for a total of eighty-eight prefectures, all of which are divided into counties, or electoral districts. The special categories are those of Nature Realm Protectorate and Urban Prefectures.

The Monarchical State of Heiban is divided into two regions, three levels of administration, and two special subdivisions. The largest of these are the regions of Zhouguo and Pelankan, followed by eleven provinces, all of which are divided into prefectures and further into counties, or electoral districts. The special subdivisions are those of Nature Realm Protectorate and urban prefecture.

Main subdivisions

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

The regions of Heiban (Guoyu: 地区; Ramayan: Negeri), also known as Zhouguo and Pelankan are the largest subdivisions in the country. Both regions are not administrative divisions, and merely serve a cultural and ethnolinguistic purpose. The western region of Zhouguo (帚国) is culturally and linguistically closer to Kodeshia, as it holds the largest portion of Guoyu speakers in the country, and of citizens identifying as ethnically Kodeshi or Zhou, hence the name of the region. The signing language in all Zhouguo provinces is Guoyu and the predominant religion is Taoism. The eastern region of Pelankan, named after the ancient Ramayan civilization, has closer ties to Ramay and all of southern Kesh, as it contains the largest portion of Ramayan speakers in Heiban, and of citizens who identify as ethnically Ramayan or Pelankan. The signing language in all Pelankan provinces is Ramayan and the predominant religion is Buddhism. The province of Meifeng, sits at the border between both regions, however, it is part of neither, as it's the only bilingual and bicultural province, where both Ramayan and Guoyu are the official languages, and most citizens identify as ethnically mixed.

The eleven provinces of Heiban (Guoyu: 省; Ramayan: Provnsi) are the largest administrative subdivisions in the country. They are each run by a Provincial Committee, formed by one representative from each prefecture within the province, also known as governors, and one member appointed by the Royal Council, in charge of directing the committee, known as president. Provinces in Heiban carry cultural and social importance, as citizens tend to identify with their province of origin, and each of them has their own regional traditions, festivities, foods and customs. The prefectures of Heiban (Guoyu: 州; Ramayan: Daerah) are the second highest level of administrative divisions, and first came into usage in the early ???th century during the Pelankan Revolution, however, during this time, there were only 27 prefectures, and were referred to as 'provinces'. Each prefecture holds elections for governor, who will later go on to represent them at the Provincial Committee. The counties of Heiban (Guoyu: 县; Ramayan: Mukim), also known as electoral districts (Guoyu: 竞选区; Ramayan: Kawasan pilihan raya), are the smallest of all administrative divisions, and have a purpose entirely electoral. They were first established in ???, during the Parliamentary Reform, which sought to expand the amount of seats of the Legislature. Counties are run by chancellors, appointed directly by the governors of whichever prefecture they are located in, and are more often than not of the same political party of coalition.

Special subdivisions

 * Main article: Urban districts, Nature Realm Protectorates

The urban districts of Heiban (Guoyu: 市辖区; Ramayan: Kawasan perbandaran) are one of two special subdivisions in the country. They were created in ??? to accommodate for the sudden population growth in Heiban's largest urban agglomerations without disrupting the existing subdivisions. As of 2021, there are five urban districts in Heiban, all of which hold provincial status and are run by a City Council, as opposed to their respective Provincial Committee, as they don't lie within province jurisdiction. Urban districts are divided into municipalities (Guoyu: 乡; Ramayan: Kampung), each electing a mayor to form part of the City Council.

The Nature Realm Protectorates of Heiban (Guoyu: 自然生态保护区; Ramayan: Suaka alam), were created as part of the Mother Nature Act with the objective of acting as no-disturb zones. Today, any form of anthropic disruption to these areas is prohibited by law, with varying degrees of punishment. There are fifteen Nature Realm Protectorates in Heiban as of 2021, most of them being Natural Reserves, and the oldest and most well known being Lake Bershai, one of the country's most sacred sites.

Geography

 * Main article: Geography of Heiban

Heiban has an area of 929,097 square kilometres (358,726 sq mi) and lies between latitudes 7° and 20° South. It borders Vessiri to the north and shares maritime borders with Ramay and South Kesh. It has a 3,935-kilometre (2,445-mile) coastline along the South Kesh Bay and the Iapetus Ocean.

Heiban's landscape is characterised by a low-lying northern plain that extends from east to west, and is surrounded by uplands to the south and low mountains to the north, and includes to the northwest the Jing Shui Lake (镜水湖) and the southern reaches of the West Kesh river basin. 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 Heibanese plain abuts a sandstone escarpment, which forms a southward facing cliff stretching for more than ??? kilometres (??? miles) from west to east and rising abruptly above the plain to heights of 800 to 1,600 meters (2,800-5,200 feet). This cliff marks Heiban's northern border and the southern limit of the Beiqiang Mountains (北墙山).

Flowing south through Heiban's southern hills is the Zuanshi River (钻石河). East and west of the Zuanshi the transitional plains gradually merge with the southern highlands, a region of forested hills and high plateaus that extend to the country's shores. These southern highlands are divided in two blocks by the Zuanshi River, the western side presents higher elevations and rougher terrain, giving way to peninsulas and islets off its shore, while the eastern side has a smoother coast and merges into the eastern plains.

This western side of the southern highlands is Heiban's most predominantly uninhabited area, and it makes up the second tallest area in the country. Here the highlands extend all the way to the country's shores, creating large cliffs, particularly along the Nanliang peninsula, where almost all of its eastern side reaches some of southern Heiban's tallest grounds.

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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 Lake Bershai, 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.

Foreign relations

 * Main article: Foreign relations of Heiban

Since its inception, Heiban has held diplomatic relationships with virtually all states in the southern Kesh region, as well as eastern and southern Kesh.

Economy

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

Heiban has a mixed economy in which both the private sector and government play vital roles. It's one of the largest economies in Southern Kesh, and is classified as a newly industrialised country. As of 2020, Heiban had a nominal GDP of $1,750 trillion and a GDP at PPP of $2,400 trillion. Per capita GDP in PPP is $24,000, while nominal per capita GDP is $17,000. The services are the economy's largest sector, and as of 2019 account for 54.8% of Heiban's total GDP, followed by industry (42.8%), and agriculture (2.4%). Since 2006, the service sector has employed more people than other sectors, accounting for 40.9% of the total labour force, followed by industry (39.8%), and agriculture (19.3%). Over time, the structure of the economy has changed considerably. Historically, it has been weighted heavily towards agriculture and export, however, after the severe environmental sanctions characteristic of 20th-century Heiban, the country was forced into a gradual but rapidly growing industrialization and urbanization process that began in the 1920s, reaching its acceleration point in the 1940s with the creation of a few of the country's major industries to this current day, particularly the infrastructure and engineering industries, and the arrival of immigrants from Eastern Kesh, fleeing from the ongoing Kesh War. This development continued all throughout the late 20th century, during which the GDP rose at an average annual rate of 18.4%. As a result, poverty rates fell from 55% to 10%, and have been only getting lower since. As of 2019, 0.4% of the population lived below the poverty line, and the official open unemployment rate was 3.7%.

Some of Heiban's most noticeable natural resources are gold, oil, mica, manganese, bauxite and coltan, while agriculture produces coffee, rice, cacao, medicinal plants, spices and tea. These make up a good part of the country's exports, however, the primary exports in the country include mobile phone, building, ship, auto and airplane parts. Heiban is also a noticeable provider of transportation and cargo, medicine, engineering and insurance services.

Demographics
Based on the latest census, as of 1 January 2020, the population of Heiban was of 99.6 million, with an estimated population for 2021 of 101 million, projecting for an annual population growth rate of 0.01%. Almost every person in the country lives in the mainland, while the total population for all islands offshore was 238,054 as of 2020, accounting for only 0.24% of Heiban's total population. The country's southernmost provinces account for most of Heiban's total population and largest cities. Heiban is dissected into two linguistically and culturally distinct regions; the western region of Zhouguo (Guoyu: 帚国), where Guoyu is the official language, and the eastern region of Pelankan, where Ramayan is the official language. Meifeng is the only officially bilingual province and both languages can be found in regular use everywhere within its borders.

Ethnicity

 * Main article: Pelankan people, Zhou people

In 2020, the Secretary of Population and Census of Heiban issued a statistical report, based on the new questions added to the 2020 Census regarding ethnicity and cultural background, that stated that 59.52% of the population identified as ethnic and linguistically, with cultural ties to native Heibanese people and the adjacent southern Keshi nations, as well as full comprehension and usage of the in everyday life. Also as part of this report, 25.61% of the population identified as, with most of them declaring direct ancestral ties to former Imperial Kodeshia; these citizens declared complete understanding and usage of the in daily life. Lastly, 14.74% of the population, self-identified as Mixed or ‘Heibanese’, with ancestry of both Pelankan and Zhou origin, and fluency in both languages; although this number makes up the lowest percentage of the population, Heibanese scholars estimate that the actual number of people with mixed ancestry should come closer to 41%, however, this extra 26.2% is believed to come from illicit marriages, occasions of rape or unregistered births. A remaining 0.7% identify as ‘Unknown’ or ‘Other’, with the latter being mostly descendants of immigrants from other nations, primarily Keshi.

Language

 * Main article: ', '

[[File:Languages_of_Heiban.png|right|thumb|330px|105%

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Heiban is a state and recognizes two languages to have national and official validation; Ramayan and Guoyu. Ramayan is the native language of the region and is the primary language of nearly ?% of the population, and spoken and understood by a total 94.5% of all Heibanese citizens. Ramayan is the sole official language of the Pelankan region, which encompasses five provinces, and is a co-official language in the province of Meifeng. The language is written in the and is a signing language nationwide. Today, the Ramayan spoken in Heiban has a distinct accent when compared to that spoken in neighboring Ramay and South Kesh, and has been referred to on occasion as Pelankan Ramayan. Guoyu was introduced in Heiban in the 12th century, and was the sole official language of the country for almost four centuries. It is the primary language of ?% of the population, and is spoken and understood by a total 95%. Guoyu is the sole official language of the Zhouguo region, which encompasses five provinces, and is the co-official language in the province of Meifeng. The language is written in the and is a signing language nationwide, however, the usage of  has grown increasingly common, as Heiban becomes more integrated with its neighboring nations. Today, the Guoyu spoken in Heiban is almost entirely different from that spoken in other Guoyu states in eastern Kesh, due to the antiquity of the language, the geographical distance and the influence from other languages in the region making their way into Heibanese culture. Heibanese Zhou people referred to their dialect as Zhou Guoyu.

Religion

 * Main article: Traditional religions of Heiban, Taoism in Heiban, Buddhism in Heiban''

The Constitution of Heiban acknowledges and recognizes only two religions to hold official status in the country, and. Although is legal in Heiban, only citizens born abroad are allowed identify with a non-official religion, whereas Heibanese-born citizens are required by law to adhere to one of the country’s faiths or self-identify as. Newborns are assigned a religion by their parents, that can be changed at the age of 16. All religious identification is then added to each citizen’s national ID. About 70.3% of the population identifies as Buddhist, 20.7% as Taoist, and 7% as irreligious, with a remaining 2% adhering to other religions, particularly and.

Prior to the integration of Heiban into the Zhou Empire as a vassal state, the territory was composed of several smaller religions, traditional to Pelankan and Ramayan culture. Many of these religions became lost to time, and today only a fraction of the population, particularly living in the province of Kelau-Jelah, still adheres to traditional Pelankan beliefs. Taoism was introduced in the early 13th century with the arrival and settlement of Kodeshi officials and population, and forced on Heibanese citizens in an attempt to fully integrate them into Kodeshi traditions. Taoism remained the only official religion of the country for nearly five centuries after its integration, however, about 50% of Heibanese citizens, specifically those living in the Pelankan region of southern Heiban, identified as irreligious for most of this time period as an act of resistance. Buddhism was introduced later in the country at the start of the 20th century, as missionaries from the Samot-Seratof Empire were sent to the southern Kesh as part of their expansion into the region. Most irreligious citizens at the time found refuge in the newly introduced religion, and soon enough the monarch at the time was converted to Buddhism. Today, Buddhism represents the largest percent of the population, and its religious symbols have become an equivalent to Heibanese nationalism.

As part of its full integration of Buddhism as the second 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 Monarch of Heiban holds the title of Protector of the Faith and has the job of interpreting and protecting the country's national religion as well as deeming which practices are to be considered moral or immoral. Any religious order given by the Monarch is then reported to the Head Monk, head of the Grand Temple of Qiānliú (千流大庙) and the person in charge of spreading the religious teachings to the rest of the nation. In recent times, the sovereign has used his 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.

Culture
Heiban is a bicultural nation, combining aspects of ancient traditions and customs from southern Kesh and Ramayan natives, as well as eastern Kesh and Kodeshi elements introduced into the region toward the 16th century and onwards. Heibanese culture itself is considered a hybrid mixture of these two regional customs, both of which have been influenced by the most recent adoption of Buddhism as the country’s religion in the 19th century. The Secretariat of Culture issued a report in 2018, proclaiming the ‘cultural unity’ of Heiban, as nearly 98% of the population still follows and respects national culture and traditions, with only a rare few, usually children of immigrants, not partaking in Heiban’s customs. This is due to the work of the Royal Guard of Traditions (Guoyu: 皇家傳統衛隊, Huángjiā Chuántǒng Wèiduì ; Ramayan: Penjaga Tradisi Diraja) or HRGT, a branch of the military created with the purpose of protecting and reinforcing the practice of Heibanese culture above all else. The HRGT was established as an act of cultural protectionism in the 20th century, as a result of mass migration waves coming from eastern Kesh after the Great Kesh War, and in an attempt to ensure Heibanese culture wouldn’t be tampered by the influence of immigrants, as well as neighboring nations.

Art, entertainment and literature
Prior to the creation of the Royal Guard of Traditions, the Heibanese government and its citizens were fairly open to foreign customs and their spreading across Heiban. This open-mindedness resulted in what are now considered some of Heiban’s core cultural characteristics as a nation, such as the embracing of Kodeshi citizens and their traditions in the 17th century, and the tolerance and quick adoption of Buddhism. However, after the introduction of the HRGT and by the end of the 20th, this was no longer the case. Today, Heibanese people are very protective of their traditions and have a hard time embracing newer cultural aspects, this stands particularly true with the Royal Family, who believe in the necessity of Heibanese nationalism in order to remain power symbols of the country. This closed-up sentiment is reflected in the different art forms, entertainment industry and literary material that makes its way into the country and among the regular population.



Dancing, music and painting are the most prestigious forms of art and are held to a higher standard than any other. Every upper and middle class child is expected to learn to play an instrument at some point, children of the royal and extreme upper class in particularly are all taught how to play the national instrument, the Yueqin (月琴, yuèqín ). Dancing and painting, though not as commonly praised as music, are also appreciated nationwide, particularly since both forms of art are available to every citizen regardless of class, unlike certain musical instruments.

Literature has been an intricate topic throughout much of the country's history, as the writing and publishing of literary material was reserved only to the upper class for until fairly recently. Today, though writing has been made available to all citizens, the publishing of books can be a tricky situation in Heiban, particularly since the implementation of Heiban's Core Beliefs; historical and political books that don't align with the government's principles tend to be censored or outright banned, all books under these two literary genres published today either fall in line with the national ideology or act as indirect propaganda for the government. Fictional novels and books that don't touch into the political aspect of Heiban will usually do well and will rarely get censored.

The seventh art, though relatively new, has been gaining traction fast among the Heibanese people and could be considered the only form of modern art to have truly found its way among the country's more traditional and conservative beliefs. However, this appreciation toward cinema is mostly directed toward foreign movies, as the national movie industry remains relatively small and new, and those who aspire to become actors or actresses are usually looked down, since those are still considered 'jobs of last resort' by the older citizens, who grew up valuing manual and intellectual work over a creative one.

All foreign material, particularly books and movies, and songs to a lesser extent, are reviewed by the Ministry of Culture to determine if censorship or a cultural ban are necessary.