Heckerbrook

**Heckerbrook** (Lungarian: *Heckerbraüch*), officially the **Republic of Heckerbrook** (Lungarian: *Republik Heckerbraüch*), is a sovereign state located in Central Eurea, bordered by Lungary to the east, Frankenland to the south, Duchenbourg to the southwest, Porgium to the north and west, and Ardwall to the northwest and north. Its capital and most-populous city is Brenner, located in the northeast of the country. Heckerbrook has a population of about 7.3 million inhabitants.

Organized civilization first began in the territory of modern-Heckerbrook in the 4th-century, with various small city-states and kingdoms being established. By the 13th-century, the territory had unified to become the Kingdom of Heckerbrook. In the 18th-century, Heckerbrook was included in the unification of Lungary, being incorporated as a western province of the Lungarian Empire. In 1899, the Austo-Lungarian War broke out, resulting in an Austlungardian win five years later. During the war, Lungary began struggling with control over some other regions of the Empire in addition to Austlungard, which it was fighting a war with. In 1904, Heckerbrook was granted its independence in the aftermath of the war, which had left the Empire extremely weak and fragile.

After gaining its independence, Heckerbrook established itself as a unitary parliamentary constitutional republic. Its head of state is the President, who is mainly a ceremonial figurehead. Elected through a popular vote for a term of five years that can be renewed once, the President is responsible for signing passed legislation, formally appointing all ministers, acting as a unifying figure for the country, and serving as a ceremonial commander-in-chief of the armed forces. The President has a veto power over passed legislation, although their veto can be overridden by a supermajority in parliament. The Prime Minister is the head of government, who wields most political power. Typically the leader of the governing coalition in parliament, the Prime Minister leads a cabinet of ministers that is responsible for implementing their political agenda through passing legislation. The parliament of Heckerbrook is bicameral, consisting of the Senate – the 65-seat upper house – and the National Council – the 385-seat lower house.

Of Heckerbrook's population of 7.3 inhabitants, approximately 90.1% identifies as ethnically Heckerbrookian. While many argue that Heckerbrookians are not a separate ethnic group from Lungarians, the government of Heckerbrook views them as a distinctly separate ethnic group. A further 5.1% identifies as originating from a different Eurean nation, primarily Zatranians, Danians, Escarians, and Vasalonians, while the remaining 4.8% identifies as other ethnic groups, primarily Tarficans and Helonesians. Most ethnic minorities in Heckerbrook are of immigrant origin, due to the high quality of life in Heckerbrook. The national and sole official language of Heckerbrook is Lungarian, a Lungaric language. Lungarian is spoken natively by approximately 93.5% of the population, while the reamining 6.5% speaks other languages natively. Approximately 50.9% of the population adhere to Christianity – 39.5% adhering to the Church of Lungary, 9.9% adhering to Eurean Catholicism, 0.4% identifying as "non-denominational Christians," and 1.1% adhering to a different Christian church. Approximately 1.9% adhere to other religions, while 47.2% identify as irreligious, agnostic, or atheist. Approximately 28.5% of the population reports weekly religious attendance.