Federation of Notaria

> "Like a Phoenix, it burned to the ground, and from its ashes, a new nation rose, just as mighty as it once was."
> - Popular National Saying
>
>

## Federation of Notaria

* Flag
* Coat of Arms
* Roundel
* Map

## Government

### Type

Federal Parliamentary Semi-Constitutional Monarchy

### Military

Notarische Streitkräfte (Notarian Armed Forces)

## Overview

The **Federation of Notaria**, **Notaria**, or, known locally as **Notarien** is a major economic and military power located on the Eukopan Continent. It does not share land borders with any nation due to the fact that it solely encompasses the entirety of its island of Notar. Its capital, Heimat, is located on the Southeastern Plains of the Bogen River.

The Federation is a highly developed nation, possessing a large population for its time, extensive infrastructure, and a well-outfitted military force. It is one of the world's leading powers in harnessing the powers of Nuclear Energy and Space Exploration-development. One of its many achievements includes the building of the first space station in Low Solus Orbit in a joint program alongside it Revusian Ally.

Due to its expansionist ideologies, Notaria was well-known throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries for actively invading neighbouring nations for land and resources. The country would soon come into conflict with several nations, including several brutal wars between it and its rival: The Republic of Huntusia.

## History

### Notarian Imperium (468 - 1658)

In 1658 the Imperium was officially dissolved.

### First Notarian-Huntusian War (1904 - 1913)

After countless border disputes over the decades between the Republic of Huntusia and the Federation of Notaria over Notarian territories on the Eukopan Mainland, border clashes and localized skirmishes would occur on the Notarian-Huntusian border, and on the 15th of August 1904, full-scale war would be declared by both sides.

Huntusian forces would push deep into the Notarian mainland territories before being halted by makeshift Notarian defense networks. The advent of new military technology such as machine guns and more reliable artillery guns would force both armies to dig trenches on many parts of the front in order to protect themselves; effectively grinding the entire war into a bloody stalemate with both sides futilely sending endless charges to break each other lines at a high cost.

The war would eventually end in Huntusia’s favour, as Notarian supply lines were cut off by Huntusian naval blockades, starving the federation’s ground forces present on the Eukopan mainland of food and ammunition. With the Notarian Navy unable to break through the Huntusian Naval blockade, and the Kingdom of Charletica joining the war on Huntusia’s side after the accidental sinking of the HMCS Brittony off of the Bay of Giselle by Notarian Naval Forces, the Federation of Notaria, out of options to win the war, was forced to capitulate on the 9th of June, 1913.

The following treaty of Knechtsland dictated the fate of the country. The Federation would be forced to pay war reparations and its eastern territories would be carved out and annexed by the Republic of Huntusia as they saw fit, leaving the Federation of Notaria to deal with its less fertile and less industrious parts of its mainland territories.

Hatred would rampage across the remaining nation, with Huntusian nationals still on the island of Notar being hunted and beaten down by locals while on the Huntusian side many Notarians still living in the parts of Ostsalzheim and Nordhallen that were annexed were kicked out of their homes and replaced by Huntusian settlers.

## Geography

Notaria encompasses the entirety of the island **Notar**, with beautiful coastal beaches stretching throughout its southern coast and steep coastal cliffs throughout the north, west, and east; making it difficult to traverse. Inland, it maintains a great abundance of rolling pastures and farmlands near its many settlements, while lush forests, grasslands, hills, and mountains dot its land.

The country has a mixture of both temperate and arctic climates, with the south being relatively temperate while its north often freezing over even during the summer months of the Northern Hemisphere on Solus.

## Politics

### Government

The Federation is a federal parliamentary semi-constitutional monarchy.

The **Federal Council (Bundesrat)** wields sovereignty over the nation and functions as its highest authority. This council serves as a legislative entity that possesses the right of legislative initiative, and due to the necessity of its consent for all laws, holds the ability to effectively reject any bill originating from the Imperial Diet (Reichstag). The Bundesrat is empowered to establish guidelines and effect alterations within the executive branch, serving as the ultimate mediator in administrative disputes between states, and functioning as a constitutional court for states that lack their own constitutional tribunals. Comprising representatives who are appointed by and answerable to the state governments.

The **Imperial Diet (Reichstag)** is a legislative body that could be elected by both men and women at 18 years of age and serves as the nation's parliament. The Reichstag has the right to propose bills and with the concurrence of the Bundesrat approve the annual state and the military budget. All laws require the Reichstag's approval to pass.

The **Monarch** (**Emperor** or **Empress**) serves as the head of state within the Federation. They don't hold direct ruling authority, but they possess the ability to appoint the Chancellor, typically someone who can secure the confidence of the Reichstag. Collaborating with the Monarch, the Chancellor has the authority to shape the government's general policy directions and present them to the Reichstag. Acting on the Chancellor's counsel, the Monarch can appoint ministers and other significant positions in the imperial and federal spheres. All actions of the Monarch, excluding military directives, must be endorsed by the Chancellor's signature. The Monarch's responsibilities encompass signing bills into law, seeking the approval of the Bundesrat for declaring war, engaging in peace negotiations, forming treaties, and convening or adjourning sessions of the Bundesrat and the Reichstag. Additionally, the Monarch holds the role of commander-in-chief over the Federation's Military, wielding complete authority when exercising military power.

The **Chancellor** is the head of government and chaired the Bundesrat and the Imperial Government, leads the lawmaking process, and countersigns all acts of the emperor (with the exception of military directives).

#### Constituent States

Notaria is a federation and comprises 6 constituent states which are all collectively referred to as "Länder", or "Bundesländer" as the federal term. Each state has its own constitution and is largely autonomous in regard to its internal organization.

##### Heimat

The heart of the Federation, Heimat is the capital and largest city of Notaria by both population and size. It is one of the Federation's constituent states, founded after the end of the Wars of Reunification as the new home and ruling city of the new monarchy.

##### Waldenreich

Waldenreich is a state bordering the constituent states of Merkerland, Duschen, Polien, and the capital city of Heimat. It had the strongest military force on the island and was, therefore, the driving force behind the reunifcation of Notaria.

Now it is known for its well-preserved natural environments, vibrant business centers, bustling cities, and one of the strongest industrial regions in the world.

Its capital city is

##### Merkerland

Merkerland is a federal state located on the northwestern portion of Notar. It is one of the least dense states in all of Notaria due to its arctic climate, with its capital of .... only reaching roughly a million inhabitants.

The state was established after the fall of the Notaria Imperium, with several duchies unifying themselves under the newly formed Kingdom of Merkerland during the ensuing chaos.

##### Seeland

One of the most remote federal states to date, Seeland was a state mainly fueled by their fishing and livestock industries. Now, it has recently become a hub for transportation between Eukopa and Antara, serving as an alternative shipping route to Revus both in the air and at sea, though many Seeland communities still prefer keeping to themselves and exporting their meat and wool to other parts of the country.

### Law

Notaria has a civil law system based on that of the late Notarian Imperium. The *Constitutional Court* is the Notarian Supreme Court responsible for constitutional matters, with the power of judicial review. Notaria's supreme court is specialized in that it can handle both civil and criminal cases.

Criminal and Private laws are codified on the national level in the Criminal Code and the Civil Code respectively. The Notarian penal system seeks to rehabilitate the criminal and protect the public, though individuals who have committed notably more serious crimes or have a notable criminal history will often face harsh punishments instead of rehabilitation and in some rare cases can earn the death penalty.

### Military

The Federation supports one of the largest and most well-equipped militaries on the Eukopan Continent, ready to face anything that threatens the sovereignty of the nation and its citizens. Called the **Notarische Streitkräfte** (English: **Notarian Armed Forces**), it consists of 3 branches: Heer (Army), Luftwaffe (Air Force), and Marine (Navy).

The Notarian Armed Forces utilizes an all-volunteer force, investing in the training of professional soldiers and purchase of quality equipment rather than in a cheap conscript-based military yet can easily transition into one when needed. It is one of the first nations on Solus to introduce conscription for women in times of war since 1964.

The Armed Forces are subordinate to the Notarian Ministry of Defence, with the Commander-in-Chief being the ruling Monarch of the nation.

### Languages

Notarian is the official and most widely spoken language in the Federation and was already a lingua franca on the island of Notar before the Re-Unification Wars. Recognized native minority languages in Notaria include: Low Notarian, Low Rheinian, Eastern Huntish, Esterisch, Angletican, and Lokale Evskovakian.

A vast majority of Notarians are Bilingual, with a smaller fraction of them being multilingual. Officially, only Apolikan Charlish is taught in schools as a mandatory second language. However, language courses in Huntusian, Nikuran, and Evskovian are optional extracurricular subjects.

## Economy

Like most nations on the planet, the Federation utilizes a social-capitalist economy, with its economy thriving well throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. The country has a highly skilled labour force, low levels of corruption, advanced infrastructure, and a high level of technological innovation. The country is capable of redirecting its funds to massively expand its military without much impact on the rest of the country. The country’s national currency is the Notarische Mark (Notmark/NM).

The Notarian military-industrial complex is one of the largest in the world, supplying many militaries around the globe with weapons ranging from small arms to heavy armoured vehicles. Notarian military products are renowned for their simple yet robust designs with ease of maintenance to top it off; owing to their design doctrines of ensuring that such weapons of war could be fielded and maintained by poorly-trained conscript armies when absolutely necessary.

Research and development efforts form an integral part of the Notaria economy. It has been ranked third behind the Federal Republic of Revus and the Apolikan Union globally in terms of research papers published. Many of its research institutions are centered around Heimat. It also works alongside Revus in the quest for space exploration and colonization.

## Culture

Notaria is well known for its folk festival traditions such as its Korem Night customs, which include Advent wreaths, Korem Night trees, Stollen cakes, and other practices that are part of the festivities. There are also a number of public holidays determined by the country, with some states having their own regional holidays. Re-unification day on September 21st is celebrated by all of Notaria since its founding and has been a very important national holiday for its people since its introduction.

### Literature and Philosophy

Notarian Literature can be traced back to the time of the Notarian Imperium during the middle ages. There are a collection of folk tales

### Cuisine

Rinderrouladen is recognized by many citizens of Notaria as the national dish of the country. This flavourful meat dish typically comprises bacon, onions, mustards, and pickles wrapped within a delicate slice of beef, which is subsequently cooked to perfection.

Bread holds a notable role in Notarian gastronomy, where Notarian bakeries produce over 700 primary bread varieties each day. Pastries and rolls are widely favored for Notarian breakfasts, dinners, and midday snacks, with approximately 1,100 different types of these treats crafted alongside bread. Notarian cheeses and chocolates are renowned worldwide for their quality, purity and good flavour. It is no wonder why Notarian cheese accounts for the majority of cheeses produced on the Eukopan Continent, while Notarian produced chocolate can be found on virtually every supermarket shelf in the world.

The Notarian national drink is beer, also being the country with the highest beer consumption in the world. Wine has also become a popular alternative in many parts of the country. Additionally, Notaria is recognized as the biggest producer and consumer of the renowned 'Beetival Tea', which is crafted using leaves from the Beetival Tree, a plant indigenous to its mainland.

### Sports

Due to its location so far north, ice hockey has become a favourite sport among many in Notaria with yearly tournaments occurring during the northern winters.

## National Anthem

Notarische Heide, Notärischer Sand
sind des Notariers Freude,
sind sein Heimatland.
Sind des Notariers Freude,
sind sein Heimatland.

Stehe hoch, du kleiner Hündchen,
hoch über Sumpf und Sand.
Hoch über dunkle Kiefernwälder,
heil dir, mein Notärischer Land.
Hoch über dunkle Kiefernwälder,
heil dir, mein Notärischer Land.

Uralte Eichen, dunkler Buchenhain
Grünende Birken
umrahmen den Wiesenrain.
Grünende Birken
umrahmen den Wiesenrain.

Stehe hoch, du kleiner Hündchen,
hoch über Sumpf und Sand.
Hoch über dunkle Kiefernwälder,
heil dir, mein Notärischer Land.
Hoch über dunkle Kiefernwälder,
heil dir, mein Notärischer Land.

Notarische Heide, Notärischer Sand
sind des Notariers Freude,
sind sein Heimatland.
Sind des Notariers Freude,
sind sein Heimatland.

Stehe hoch, du kleiner Hündchen,
hoch über Sumpf und Sand.
Hoch über dunkle Kiefernwälder,
heil dir, mein Notärischer Land.
Hoch über dunkle Kiefernwälder,
heil dir, mein Notärischer Land.