Heiban

Heiban (: 海傍; : Hebuan), officially the Monarchical State of Heiban, formerly known as Pelankan, 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, the Nzambeyan states to the north, 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 Urdalapan. Heiban is a.

Heiban is a and  nation, with ties to eastern and southern Kesh, and a history of disputed and alternating rule over the territory dating as far back as the iron and middle ages. The former Nations of Pelankan of present-day Heiban held diplomatic trading relationships with the Chou Empire, from modern-day Kodeshia, before becoming a vassal state of the Zhou Empire at the beginning of the 13th century. As a vassal state, the Nations of Pelankan were forcefully unified under the name of Heiban (Guoyu: 海傍附庸國, tr.: Hǎibàng Fùyōngguó ; Ramayan: Negara Bawahan Hebuan), and ruled by Kodeshi vassals part of the Zhou Dynasty. During the mid 16th century, and following the Qingchenese rebellion, the vassals of Heiban declared themselves independent from the Zhou Empire, officially rendering itself free in 1531. After its newly gained independence, and with the help of former Zhou imperial armed forces stationed in the area, the vassal of Heiban self-proclaimed King of Heiban, and thus started the lineage of the Heibanese Royal Family that extends into the present-day.

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), formerly known as Pelankan, 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, and sharing maritime borders with Ramay and South Kesh.

Etymology of Pelankan
Politically, the name “Pelankan” is a former term used to refer to the collective group of native nations that existed in present-day Heiban prior to Kodeshi arrival. The first recorded instance of usage of the term ‘Pelankan’ dates back to the Iron Age, as part of a written agreement between the different nations in the area, named by historians as the ‘Pelankan Accords’. Linguistically, the word ‘pelankan’ is an ancient variation of the modern-day Ramayan word ‘persatuan’ (meaning ‘union’).

Etymology of Heiban
The name "Heiban" comes from the Guoyu word hǎibàng (海傍, meaning ‘seafront’ ). It is believed this word was chosen due to the area’s location in between two bodies of water. However, certain linguists and historians believe the term 'Heiban' to be only 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.

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.

Before 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 Council.



Secretariats of Heiban as of 2021: Secretariat of Internal Affairs, Secretariat of Foreign Affairs, Secretariat of Defense, Secretariat of Economy, 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 four times in total.

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 Urdalapan. The Heibanese Legislature is formed by the (MP), and is tasked with the responsibility of proposing and ultimately creating new laws; the two impediments for the Legislature, and what have been considered to prevent Heiban from being a thorough, 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 present 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 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 Urdalapan, 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, to name a few.

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
The Monarchical State in Heiban is divided into 11 provinces (Guoyu: 省, tr.: Shěng ; Ramayan: Kawasan), each divided into eight counties, giving for a total of 88 prefectures (Guoyu: 縣 tr.: Xiàn ; Ramayan: Wilayah), furtherly divided into electoral districts, also known as historical counties.

The provinces of Heiban (Guoyu: 道海傍, tr.: Hǎibàngdào ; Ramayan: Kawasan Hebuan) are the first level of administrative division and the largest subdivisions of the country. The provinces are former federal entities whose borders follow the demarcations of the former houses of the Nations of Pelankan (佩蘭坎民族; Bangsa Pelankan). Each province is administered by a Provincial Seat (省會; Kerusi Kawasan), formed by 3 elected members, 2 members appointed by the grand secretariat and 1 member descendant of the Cardinal Royal Family of their respective province, all of whom, with the exception of the latter, are replaced every 5 years. The provincial seat will act as the executive head of the province, however, being under a unitary system, provinces must abide by the Heibanese Constitutions and do not have sovereignty over their territory. Approximately 74% of the population lives in the southern provinces of Gonbi, Terenyuan and Pengau, which are home to the 4 largest cities in the country.

Geography
Heiban is located on the western end of the Southern Kesh sub-region between latitudes 07° and 20° South, bordered to the west and southwest by the South Iapetus Ocean, to the east and southeast by the South Kesh Bay, locally known in Heiban as the Bay of Ramay, and to the north by the Nzambeyan states. The country spans over a total area of 929,097 square kilometers (358,726 sq mi), making it the seventh-largest country in Kesh and the seventeenth-largest in Anterra.

Due to the country’s proximity to the equator, Heiban is characterized by tropical climates, particularly those of tropical savanna and tropical monsoon, according to Kaupmann’s Climate Classification.

Landscape
Heiban’s landscape is mostly hilly and sparsely forested, characterized by tropical savannas in the center of the country and tropical monsoons along its southern coasts. The country is essentially shaped like a massive valley, with higher elevation present along the northern and southern borders, with a flatter interior. The highest peaks in the country are specifically located along the northern border with the Nzambeyan States, with Heiban’s tallest point being Mount Yunkawan (雲峰山; Puncakawan) at roughly 1,600 meters (5,249 ft.) above sea level, in the province of Caoban.

Southern Heiban consists of only a few islands large enough to host permanent populations, and several smaller scattered islands, a consequence of the rough and uneven terrain, this is particularly noticeable in the Shengi Peninsula, the largest in the country and home to some of the tallest and flattest terrains in the country. Politically, this region differs from its northern counterpart in both population and level of socioeconomic development, being the wealthiest and most advanced region in Heiban. This concept is attributed by Heibanese scholars the name of “Land Contrast" (土地對比; Kontras Tanah), and reinforces the idea that the country’s landscape acts as the main form of socioeconomic disparity.

When it comes to Heiban’s fluvial system, many courses of fresh water flow into and from Heiban, and into the Iapetus Ocean and the South Kesh Bay, on Heiban’s western, eastern and southern coasts, all of which act as the main spots for urban agglomerations and conurbations, with the best example being the capital of Gongzhuhua-Urdalapan being located along the country’s southern shore near the Zhungatengah River, the widest and most important river in Heiban, running from north to south and dissecting the country into two halves comparable in size. The many rivers in the country feed into several lakes scattered across the country, with the largest of them being Lake Bershai located in western Heiban and considered one of the country’s holiest sites.

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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 party 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 1953, a rare sight at the time; the passing 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 passing 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 Bay of Ramay.

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 at (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 phones, building, ships, auto and airplane parts. Transportation and cargo, medicine, engineering and insurance services are also worth noting.

Demographics
According to the latest census, as of 1 January 2020 the population of Heiban was 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 hold the largest number of people, with more than half of Heiban’s inhabitants living in just the provinces of Gondi and Terenyuan, both combined accounting for 55.2% of the country’s total population

Population
Most Heibanese citizens live along the southern coast and around river basins, with only a few major cities located in the north of the country. Most cities in Heiban were built around river mouths to act as both ports to international waters, and to have access to the exported goods produced in the interior of the country by transporting them through the river. All ten largest cities in the country have access to the ocean whether it be direct or through rivers.

Ethnicity
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 56.8% of the population identified as ethnic and linguistically Ramayan, with ties to Southern Kesh and its adjacent regions, as well as full comprehension and usage of the Ramayan language in everyday life. Also as part of this report, 23.4% of the population identified as Guoyu or Kodeshi, with most of them being descendants of the Eastern Keshi migration wave during the 15th and 16th century; these people declared understanding and usage of the Guoyu language in daily life. Lastly, 19.1% of the population, self-identified as Mixed or ‘Heibanese’, with descendance of both Ramayan and Guoyu origin and fluency in both languages; although this number makes up the lowest percentage of the population, it is estimated that the actual number of people with mixed descendance comes up to nearly 48%, however, this extra 28.1% is believed to come from illicit marriages, occasions of rape or unregistered births. A remaining 0.7% is listed as ‘Unknown’ or ‘Other’, with the latter being mostly descendants of immigrants from other nations, primarily Keshi.

Language
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Heiban is a bilingual nation and recognizes two languages as official and valid; Ramayan and Guoyu. Ramayan is the native language of the region, and is the most commonly used language in the country, spoken by about 94.5% of the population. Ramayan is the sole officially used language in 43 prefectures, and the co-official language of an extra 16. The language is also written in the Ramayan script and is a signing language in every prefecture. The Guoyu language was introduced in Heiban in the 14th century as trading relationships grew with Kodeshia, and during the country consolidation as a vassal state in the 16th century, Guoyu became the language used by the rulers of Heiban. After the country’s independence in 1531, the Heibanese monarchy continued to speak Guoyu and the language was made co-official along with Ramayan. Today, nearly 78.4% of the population speaks Guoyu, and it is the only officially used language in 30 prefectures. Guoyu utilizes its own script different from the Ramayan script, however, transliteration has grown common in recent decades, as less people are able to read the Guoyu script, which shows greater complexity than its Ramayan counterpart. Guoyu is the signing language in only 46 prefectures, 16 of which are shared with Ramayan.

Religion
The Constitution of the Monarchical State of Heiban acknowledges and recognizes only one religion as official in the country and that is. The religion was introduced in Heiban during the 20th century through the colonies of the Samot-Seratofian Empire in former East Ramay, present-day South Kesh. Prior to this, the country's common religion was Taoism, brought by Kodeshi rulers during the country's early stages.

is legal in Heiban, however, only citizens born abroad can identify with a religion that isn’t Buddhism, whereas Heibanese citizens are required by law to adhere to the country’s faith or self-identify as, this identification is then added to each citizen’s national ID. Nearly 91% of the country identifies as Buddhist, with 7% identifying as irreligious, and a remaining 2% adhering to other religions - particularly and.

The State of Heiban has what are known as ‘core beliefs’, based on the Buddhist precepts and used to justify certain legal practices in the country; the core beliefs are the following:




 * 1) To abstain from onslaught on breathing beings: This includes the act of  of, 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 18 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
Heibanese culture is a hybrid mixture of ancient traditions from eastern Kesh and the more recently adopted customs from southern Kesh, all of which have been influenced by the introduction of Buddhism and the government’s ideology. In the present day, Heiban is a self-proclaimed 'Culturally Unified State' as declared by the government. This is due to the work of the country's Royal Guard of Traditions (Guoyu: 皇家傳統衛隊, Huángjiā Chuántǒng Wèiduì), a branch of the military created with the purpose of protecting and reinforcing the practice of Heibanese traditions and customs above all else, as an act of cultural protectionism, and in an attempt to ensure Heibanese culture won't be tampered by the influence of its neighbors.

Art, entertainment and literature
Heibanese people are very traditional and usually have a hard time embracing newer customs and innovations into the country, this stands particularly true with the royal family and the extreme upper class families who view the introduction of newer customs as a threat to the Heibanese nationalism and their ludicrous ways of living. This sentiment is reflected in the different arts, forms of entertainment and literature present in the country.



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 (Guoyu: 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.