Westland

Westland is a sovereign state in North Western Europe, located to the south of the island of Great Britain. Westland shares a land border with the United Kingdom, and borders the Westland Channel to the south. Westland has a total land area of 40,372 km2, and a population over 12 million people. The capital, and largest city of Westland is Brikkstö, while the official language is Westlandic. Westland is a prominent global Middle Power, and a European Regional Power.

Westland has existed almost continuously since the 6th century, when it was founded as the Anglo-Saxon Kingdom of Wessex. Wessex was the most powerful of the Anglo-Saxon fiefdoms which now form England. In 927, the fiefdoms sought to unify themselves under a single Kingdom of England. Wessex excluded itself from this arrangement, preferring to stay independant, this formed the Kingdom of Westland which existed continuously until 1923. During this time Westland was successfully invaded by the Normans, which transformed the Westlandic language and culture, blending Anglo-Saxon and Norman traditions to create a unique society. The Kingdom was badly affected by the Black Death, which caused the loss of its political and economic power, its population has never recovered to pre-plague levels of growth. Westland was briefly the seat of a colonial empire between the 16th and the 19th century, with territorial holdings in North America and Asia. Westland the third country in the world to under an Industrial Revolution during the late 19th century. The Industrial Revolution, coupled with growing socialist mindsets both in Westland and Europe, caused the growth of the Socialist Party during the early 1900's, which led to a series of constitutional changes climaxing in the dissolution of the Monarchy in 1923 and the formation of a Socialist State in Westland by 1925.

According to the constitution, Westland is a Socialist State which follows the ideology of Strassonism, and has been since 1923 following the abolition of Westland's monarchy. Its system guarantees the protection of individual civil liberties, the environment, equality, and the protection of human rights, aswell as the respect of personal property whilst focusing on even distribution of wealth and resources and public ownership. As a result, Westland has one of the lowest rates of inequality in terms of income, civil liberties, human rights, gender equality, however ranks relatively low in terms of democracy, and freedom of press. As of 2014, Westland is ranked as one of the most developed nations in the world. National happiness in Westland is among the highest in the world. Westland has always rejected the totalitarian ideals of the Soviet Union and the Eastern Bloc, and has retained closer, but wary relations with the capitalist world. Westlandic society is centred around a model for peace and propserity which benefits all without exception. The outlawing of right wing concepts such as intolerance, aswell as donwplaying religious beliefs has been integral to creating this society.

Westland is a single party state, with the Socialist Party being the ruling party of government since 1923. The Head of State and the Head of Government is the Chancellor of Westland, who is appointed by the Socialist Party. However, the National Assembly is regarded as being sovereign. 80% of its members are directly elected by the public every 5 years. Extensive use of Referenda has also strengthened the Socialist Party's mandate in recent years. Due to this Westland is often described as being a Benevolent Dictatorship. Westland has long disagreed with the Soviet Union's form of politics, where the party members were a separate 'tier' of society, unlike in Westland where Political participation is seen as being open to all, from all backgrounds.

Westland's mixed economy allows of limited form of capitalism, mainly focusing on socialist economics, evenly distributing wealth and public ownership, whilst also having an emphasis on personal property and freedom of choice and possession. Westland’s welfare system is one of the most comprehensive in the world, providing healthcare, and tertiary education to all citizens of Westland. Westland has been ranked as one of the best countries to live in, in terms of quality of life, civil liberties and equality.

Westlandic culture is founded upon the nations Anglo-Saxon Germanic heritage. Most Westlandic people are descendants of Saxons who emigrated to the British Isles in the 5th century, or the original indigenous Celtic people of the British Isles. Westlandic, a North Germanic language, descends almost directly from Old English.