Boaga

The Kingdom of Boaga (Boagan: Boaga Errasuma, informally known as “Boaga” is a country located in southwestern Artemia, on the northern side of the Bonaventure Straits. It shares land borders with Agrana y Griegro to the south, Teutonenland to the west, Legantus to the north and Austrasia to the east. The official and national language is Boagan.

Boaga is named after the indigenous people called the Boagans, who, along with the Boagan language, are of unknown origins, though they share a common origin with the people of Albel. The country has one of the oldest monarchies in the region, which has reigned continuously since 978 CE, which formed when the Kingdom of Baratza extended its control over the entirety of present day Boaga. Modern Boaga is an executive monarchy with a parliamentary democracy.

Early Era
Boaga has been inhabited by a distinct group of people for a period of time that is not precisely known. The people that first inhabited Boaga at that time were unlike other peoples of Artemia, and seem to have been a distinct.

By 3000 BCE, various small states began to emerge along the coasts, and further inland, various tribes and clans began to organize. These groups often warred with each other for reasons related to which gods were worshipped, or to expand their tribal domains. This process continued uninterrupted for rest of the era, until around the 1st century CE, when the remaining Boagan states were relatively large and powerful compared to their ancient counterparts.

The Boagan states were divided between smaller, wealthier coastal states in the south and larger, poorer and less populated states to the north. The various Boagan states struggled for supremacy until the coastal Kingdom of Baratza emerged victorious and united Boaga under a singular state for the first time in 978 under King Erramun III of the House of Barranza

Middle Ages
Boaga found itself surrounded by powerful neighbors and struggled to maintain its power and and position throughout the Medieval Era. Due to a combination of rough terrain, well-trained knights and local militia, diplomacy and trade, Boaga was able to endure and remain mostly intact.

Renaissance
Boaga has historically refrained from colonial and expansionist pursuits, focusing instead on defense and preservation of the Boagan way of life. Contact with outsiders was welcomed, provided the outsiders wished to establish trade or diplomatic ties.

Modern Era
Boaga refrained from colonial and expansionist pursuits, focusing instead on defense and preservation of the Boagan way of life. In the 18th century, influence of liberal thought led to King Gartzea V organizing the Muntaia with the purpose of providing representation for the people of the realm. The members of the Muntaia compiled Charters from the various provinces and came up with a generalized bill of rights, which was introduced in 1757.

Geography
Boaga has a varied geography consisting of beaches and coastal plains in the south, and forests, mountains and valleys in the north and west. The southern landscape is defined by rolling plains, while in the north, mountains with forested river valleys are a common sight. Boaga’s highest peak is the similarly named Mt. Boagara in the north, from which the country derives its name. Once a volcano, the mountain is a symbol of Boaga and a popular attraction for winter sports enthusiasts.

Climate
The Boagaran mountains form the watershed and also mark the distinct climatic areas of the country, with continental climates in the north and middle of the country and oceanic climates in the south.

Flora and Fauna
Due to Boaga’s diverse geography and terrain, the country is home to a wide array of wildlife. Wolves, foxes, deer, weasels, marmots, beavers, and cynomys can be found throughout the continent. In the north, one can also find several species of bear, moose, elk, mountain sheep, puma and lynx. Oceanic animals including seals are common along the coast, as are seafaring birds.

Government & Politics
Boaga is an executive monarchy featuring a parliamentary system democracy. The Monarchy of Boaga has extensive powers in modern times, with King Erramun XII of the House of Barranza being the current monarch and head of state. The current is Prime Minister Manuel Mardo.

Administrative Divisions
Boaga is governed as a federal state. The country is divided into Regions, which are further divided into provinces and then communities. The communities possess various degrees of autonomy within a province as well as special autonomous municipalities, the latter reserved for distinct communities which hold a distinct identity from the rest of the province, however not enough for it to be a separate province.

Time Zones
Time in Boaga falls into a single time zone known as Southern Artemian Time (SAT)

Political System
Since 1970, the National Reforms of Boaga have limited the monarch to powers that are more or less codified. These include immunity, affirmation of elected ministers, veto power, pardons, and dismissal of the government. An unusual feature of royal law is that there is no mechanism for abdication.

Legislative power is vested in the Legegilea, which is divided into two chambers, the directly-elected Muntaia (House of Commons) and the unelected Jauneketxea (House of Lords). Although majority approval from both chambers is needed to pass legislation, the House of Commons is far more powerful, and has additional powers such as selecting the Prime Minister of Boaga.

House Elections take place at least once every four years. The 368-seat House of Commons is elected directly through the system, using the. The 1000-seat Jauneketxea is occupied by the nobility, and seats are inherited. While the government can request a at almost any time for the House, the House will only be elected to fill out the remainder of the previous House's term.

Following the 2020 general election, the current prime minister is Manuel Mardo of the Conservative Party. The party holds a majority of seats in Parliament.

Politics of Boaga
Boaga is a multiparty Parliamentary democracy, with the Labor and Conservative parties remaining the parties with the strongest levels of support. The Green Party enjoys high levels of support as well.

Justice
The National Laws of Boaga states that everyone is entitled to have their case heard by a court or an authority appropriately and without undue delay, and in the case of criminal offences, by a jury of peers or panel of magistrates. To implement this policy, Boagan courts are divided into four levels.

The lowest level of general courts are the Civil Courts (Boagan: Auzitegia Zibilak) that deal with criminal cases, civil cases and petitionary matters. A civil court is headed by a Judge, or in smaller municipalities as an "Administer of Justice" or “Justiciar”.

Trial by audience is in inherent right. In most civil cases, there are a combination of professional judges and public jury involved in the process depending on the offense and the jurisdiction. In criminal cases, the common sense and popular sense of justice are represented by the three magistrates. However, they participate both in the trying of fact and of law, as well as in sentencing, in conjunction with the jury's verdict.

Appeals from the Civil Courts are addressed to the Provincial Courts (Boagan: Auzitegia Probintzia) located in the provincial capitals. Most of the cases dealt with by the Provincial Courts are appeals against decisions of the Civil Courts, and can be appealed to the regional courts.

The next highest courts are the Regional Courts (Boagan: Auzitegia Eskualdeko). There is only one Regional Court per Region, located in the capital city. These Courts usually resolve appeals made from the lower courts. In addition, Regional Courts decide, as the first instance, matters of treason and high treason, as well as certain offences in public office. Usually the Regional Courts are able to solve most cases, and only very rarely do cases advance to the Supreme Court.

The Supreme Court (Boagan: Auzitegi Gorenak) located in Baratza is the supreme judicial authority in Boaga. It consists of a Chief Justice and ten associate justices who are nominated by the Prime Minister and confirmed by the Parliament. Once appointed, justices have life tenure unless they resign, retire, or are removed after impeachment. The Supreme Court acts as a constitutional court, ruling which laws are unconstitutional and as the supreme judicial court, ruling on important points of law in cases which are significant for the entire legal order, guiding the administration of justice in future cases. Decisions of any other court may be appealed against to the Supreme Court, provided that it grants leave to appeal.

Military
The Boagan Royal Forces (Boagan: Boagaeko Errege Indarrak) contain a total of 200,000 active members, 300,000 reserve members and 500,000 militia members. The GII itself is divided into three branches: the Army, the Navy, the Air Force and the Royal Guard. The Monarch is the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, with all members swearing an oath of allegiance. Boaga spends nearly 3% of its GDP on defense.

Economy
Boaga operates a mixed-market capitalist economic system. The word batera ("get along") describes the system of negotiation and consensus between employers, trade unions and the government which developed during the 20th century.

Boaga was a rather late participant in the Industrial Revolution. The majority of the population are now employed in the tertiary sector. Nevertheless, Boaga has a prominent manufacturing and agricultural industry. Well known Boagan companies operate in the fields of information technology (Ziztadak), chemicals (Oshabarro), electronics (Arranowar) and brewing (Bardea’s).

The currency of Boaga is the Busko, which has been in circulation since 1250. The Busko is issued by the Boagan Royal Mint while the semi-independent Royal Bank of Boaga is responsible for issuing currency and determining monetary policy. Another important financial institution is the Baratza Stock Exchange.

Boaga's economy is almost exclusively classified as, with relatively high average incomes and in addition to a generally high quality of life in the southern and coastal areas. Workers' ability to unionize is well-guarded by law, with major labor unions such as the United Dockworkers Union and the United Miners Union holding considerable political weight. Despite this, Boaga has a national right-to-work policy.

The economy is geographically very contrasting, with bases in the north,  strength in the south  in the southwest, and in the center. The balance of different industries has traditionally played an important part in the country's economy. In addition, moderate regulation has limited manufacturing moving overseas and reasonably priced mining operations; and there has been a large increase in, especially along the south coast and financial incentives for manufacturing and  businesses in the south. These sectors are aided by the stringent Boagan preservation and environmental standards and a well-educated workforce, respectively. In the southwest part of the country, is a major part of the economy, comprising 10% of total GDP; this is enhanced by the favorable climate and terrain.

Resources
About 38% of the labor force work in agriculture and another 2% work in other primary industries. Boaga's agricultural sector is moderately mechanized and benefits from the fertile land; as a result the country is a net exporter of food, especially considering its low density population. Boagan farms and exports vegetables, flowers and animal produce. The country also has extensive fisheries in its open waters, while freshwater fish such as are farmed in the mountains.

Exports are geared around fishing, electronics, agricultural products, hard liquors, metals, wool and chemicals, while major imports include medicines, food, electronics and automobiles. Boaga's biggest export and import partners are generally nearby nations.

Transport
As with most countries, the car is the most popular form of transport in Boaga. However, there are also popular alternatives. In the south, is very common, especially for traveling around towns or to school, and accounts for nearly 25% of all journeys made. This rises to as high as 40% in some cities. Boaga has a highly developed network of cycle paths and infrastructure which makes cycling easy and safe. In other parts of Boaga, the use of horses, mules, donkeys and mountain goats is still common, especially in areas that are difficult for cycles and cars to get around.

In the south, between Baratza and Montoya, there is also has a dense and busy railway network, operated primarily by Garraio Publikoa, though private companies and operate some lines on the network. eight cities have a metro network and eight others have a tram system. The country was unusual in that its railway usage remained stable during the period of 1950-1990 at a time when it was in decline worldwide. This was due to the vast distances in between cities, and a lack of means to get from place to place with ease.

Ethnicity
Boagan people comprise roughly 85% of the population of Boaga. The border regions are known for having larger populations of the neighboring countries.

Language
90% of the population speak the Boagan language, (Boagan) as their first language and almost all of the population can speak it fluently. Standard Boagan is the lone reprehensive of the Boagan language group, although there are dialects spoken throughout the continent. As a result of there being a lack of an indigenous alphabet or writing system beyond runes, the was adopted for spelling the language, after its introduction by outsiders.

Religion
For much of its history, Catholicism has been the dominant religion in Boaga. The Reformation affected Boaga profoundly and Protestant thought took hold among the artistans and tradesmen before being embraced by the nobility, and eventually becoming the sect to which the royal family belonged to. However, a substantial number of the population remains Catholic.

Boaga is a secular state, because it has no officially recognized state religion. Royal Law enshrined the right to religious freedom, which was also protected by the Old Laws previously.

Health
Healthcare in Boaga is dominated by government-funded, which is generally of a high standard. It is available to all permanent residents, and although it is a major strain on government funds, results in relatively cheap healthcare, with only 6% of GDP spent on health. The Boagan life expectancy is 81 years for women and 80 years for men, due to good healthcare coverage and a relatively healthy diet. However, the regional and generational differences are vast, with those who grew up in the North being statistically far more likely to die from preventable causes than Southerners.

Culturally, is frowned upon by most people, and is taxed, albeit controversially, by the government. Private healthcare is mostly geared towards niche medical treatments and all-inclusive care for the rich, including the nobility. As such, 97% of medical ailments are treated by the government-run health care system, which is the authority responsible for administering treatment.

Boaga has few dietary health problems, which can be attributed to a healthy diet and resultant low rate. The biggest dietary problems are caused by eating raw or infected animal meat, as well as drinking tainted water, both of which are almost exclusively limited to the northern parts of Boaga.

Education
Boaga is unique in that education is non-compulsory. Each Region has its own Department of Education, and provides educational opportunities for people from the ages of 5 to 18, though from the age of 16 onwards, they may enter the workforce in an. The school year runs from mid-August to late June, with holidays for the Summer and Winter festivals. While most pupils go to comprehensive schools, Boaga has a tradition of offering private schools, which 10% of students currently attend. and private tutelage are also practiced.

Students attend a Eskola Baxua ("low school") from the ages of 6-10. They then attend Eskola Erdiko ("middle school") from the ages of 10 to 14, which ends with an exam to gauge students' abilities. Higher education takes place at a Eskola Handiko ("high school") for the rest of their education. In their first three years, the students study a mix of optional and compulsory subjects and finish with a Diploma. In their last two years they study a narrower range of courses and finish by taking the academic Boagan Baccalaureate (batxilergoa) or a vocational qualification.

There are 100 universities in Boaga and over 500 colleges and institutions of tertiary education. The oldest, the University of Baratza, was founded in 1200, followed by the University of Montoya in 1350. Tuition is free to citizens and moderate fees are charged for foreign students. It is currently estimated that 25% of the population hold a tertiary degree. Degrees are awarded in compliance with the.

Culture
Since its inception, Boagan culture has been characterized as highly eccentric and bizarre, defined by its people, the Boagan. Boagan culture is defined by divisions between different population clusters, often inhabiting neighboring valleys. They historically divided the land into multiple city states, local lordships and minor kingdoms. The rugged highland strongholds and isolated valley settlements have encouraged the fierce independence of the various local Boagan clans, resisting integration into a formal governmental unit or national identity. Although these areas are a part of Boaga today, they enjoy a large degree of autonomy. Nonetheless, their language, traditions, and heroic legends are a unifying legacy.

Although the Boagan are divided into numerous, sometimes antagonistic groups, their manner of speech, architecture, and even clothing seems fairly uniform to an outsider. A common anecdote suggests that an outsider only needs to visit one or two Boagan towns before he has an understanding of the entire country. The Boagans have a strong tradition of being regarded as powerful warriors, and this is especially true in the more remote areas.

Much of this has diminished over time, but in the remote areas of Boaga this is still quite prevalent, and people are content to live archaic lifestyles. Boaga in modern times could be described as a progressive culture, albeit with a certain conservative restraint and adherence to cultural traditions.

One of the core components of Boagan culture is the Foruen, or the "Old Laws". These old laws have been in circulation in Boaga for thousands of years, and are thought to predate traceable Boagan society, as the origins or the old laws are unknown. However, they form the backbone of contemporary Boagan laws, and possess a strong influence on Boagan culture even today.

It is notable that the Boagan have a tradition of defining their race along ethnic and biological lines, to such an extreme that Boagan families have records dating back over a thousand years, in order to prove their "blood purity". The common belief is that if someone is not "100% Boagan", then they are not Boagan at all. Despite this, there are, and have never been, any legal or cultural consequences to this, beyond "bragging rights" (Eskubide harrotuz). Boagan people are historically known to be accepting of other peoples.

Boaga has also been known as a trendsetter for a number of issues historically. For instance,, and  (in cases of rape, incest, or endangerment) were more often than not legal in Boaga. Boaga has also historically enjoyed high levels of and, due in large part to the Foruen.

Cinema
Cinema in Boaga dates back to the earliest years that the medium was invented. During the silent film era, Boaga imported many films from other countries, though since the 1940s the Boagan film industry has grown and expanded beyond the country.

Media
Newspaper readership is high in Boaga and every city has its own newspaper, in addition to the larger newspapers that are available nationally, such as the Boaga Bulletina, the Baratza Times and Gimme News.

“BEK” (Boagan Broadcasting Corporation, or "Boaga Emisio Korporazio") is the largest broadcasting organization in Boaga and operates as a license-funded public broadcaster. Other networks are privatized. These include major TV stations such as the Boagan Broadcasting Network, or "Boaga Korporazio Igortzen", and the Baratza Daily News, or "Baratza Eguneroko Berriak", Most homes in non urban areas are covered by, while is most widely used in the cities.

In addition to the TV operations, there are several five national radio stations, with the oldest being created in 1925. Non-profit community radio stations were first licensed in 1960, with many often working in partnership with GRK. Commercial radio stations were not available for licensing until 1965. Both TV and radio broadcasters are not required to be politically neutral in their charters, leading to often politically charged arguments and debates.

Literature
The Boagans are legendary for their penchant for lore, legends and poetry. These stories play an important part in Boagan society, especially because historically, ideas were passed on orally, since there was no written language. As such, Boaga has an incredibly rich oral tradition.

The oldest surviving literature in Boaga consists of rune carvings, with the most famous being the Foruen Runestone which dates from approximately 3,500 BCE and is now on display at the Museum of Baratza. It is the earliest known version of the Foruen. The Boagan emphasized story-telling and epic histories, such as the Boagapika.

After the Christianization of Boaga, writing and literature became concentrated in monastic communities and took place in.

Music
Boaga has a rich musical tradition, mostly consisting of folk music and classical music. Most of the folk music originates from the Middle Ages, and has been preserved via oral tradition.

Sport
football is the most popular sport in Boaga, followed by Basque pelota. Club teams compete in the Boagan league system, which includes 154 professional clubs and over 5,000 amateur clubs. The most popular alternative team sports are tennis, rugby football and handball. The most popular individual sports are golf, bicycle racing and horse racing.

Boaga is also famous for its, including:


 * (wood chopping)
 * (dragging games)
 * (stone lifting)
 * (hole drilling)
 * (anvil lifting)
 * (bale lifting)
 * (bale tossing)
 * (cob gathering)
 * (churn carrying)
 * (cart game)
 * (scything)
 * (tug-of-war)
 * (sawing)
 * (weight carrying)
 * (sack carrying)
 * (ram fighting)
 * (hoe throwing)
 * (goose game)
 * (sheep shearing)
 * (donkey races)
 * (shooting)
 * (bowls)
 * (espadrilles tossing)
 * (rowing competitions)
 * (soapbox cars)
 * (frog game)
 * (racing)
 * (yard climbing)
 * (laia competitions)
 * (stick pulling)
 * (chicken game)
 * (metal bar throwing)
 * (pitcher race)
 * (arm wrestling)
 * (bull-leaping)
 * (bull-herding)
 * (sheepdog trials)
 * (sheepdog trials)
 * (sheepdog trials)

Cuisine
Cuisine and the kitchen are at the heart of Boagan culture. It is often said that "nobody eats as good as the Boagan", and eating is widely considered a national pastime among the Boagan. Traditional Boagan cuisine is characterized as being extravagant; it developed as a result of there being an excess amount of food, robust Boagan metabolism, and the influence of hunter-gatherer society. Breakfast, brunch and lunch would consist primarily of meat and vegetables, while dinner meals consisted of meat, vegetables, potatoes, bread and wine, usually consisting of contrasting flavors. As a result, Boagan dishes and Boagan chefs grew in demand abroad.

Boagan cuisine is influenced by the abundance of produce from the sea on each side and fertile valleys in between. The mountainous nature of Boaga has led to a difference between coastal cuisine dominated by fish and seafood, and inland cuisine with fresh and cured meats, many vegetables and legumes, and freshwater fish and salt cod.

The country is noted for its diverse range of. The Boagan typically eat all kinds of animals, and an old saying is, "if it's not a person but it has a mother, it can be eaten." Despite this, the consumption of cats, dogs, horses and rodents in the south is widely frowned upon, although in the north finding dishes which consists of those animals is not unheard of.

The most commonly consumed alcoholic drink by far is, followed by and then. There is also a large alcohol industry in Boaga which specializes in liquor, including famous brewers such as Bardea’s, Zeem and Gogorra.

Typical dishes

 * Bacalao al Pil-Pil or a la Vizcaína
 * Elvers (young )
 * s
 * (Mamia)
 * (or 'Piperrada')
 * (cheeks of )
 * (spider crab)
 * (Gooseneck barnacles)
 * Grilled and roast meats
 * (baby squid) in their ink
 * (spider crab)
 * (Gooseneck barnacles)
 * Grilled and roast meats
 * (baby squid) in their ink
 * Grilled and roast meats
 * (baby squid) in their ink
 * (baby squid) in their ink

Drinks

 * wine
 * wine
 * served in Boagan cider houses
 * liqueur
 * liqueur
 * (-root liqueur)

Holidays
National holidays are issued by proclamation, though some have existed since ancient times.

Many festivals originate as a result of the country's ancient history or Christian heritage. Some like, and  are celebrated as a secular festival as well as a religious holiday. Some other notable national festivals are Ferminak, which lasts from July 6th to July 14, and the equinoxes and solstices. Several of these holidays are affairs that last several days, which vary depending on jurisdiction and local traditions.

National symbols
The Flag of Boaga was first adopted in 1040 by King Elazar I of Boaga, based on a traditional tribal design common throughout Boaga. The flag consists of a white lines on a blue background. The white color represents peace, purity, and righteousness. The blue color represents the sea, wisdom and the pursuit of knowledge.

Although Boaga has no national personification, the cartoon character Boagaboy is often regarded by Boagan people as the "unofficial" personification of Boaga, and is widely associated with being the most commonly recognized symbol of Boaga.