Kelssek


 * For further information on non-sports aspects of this country, please see the article on TEPWiki, which should be considered definitive in case of discrepancy.

Kelssek is a large, economically-developed country located in the East Pacific, in the northeastern portion of the continent of Yasteria. A nation of soaring mountains, vast wilderness, natural beauty and frigid winters, Kelssek has two coasts on the Pacific Ocean and on the icy Aurora Sea. Its population of approximately 150 million is easily stereotyped as a bunch of bilingual commie sports nuts.

Kelssek is a leading tourist destination, drawing well-heeled sophisticates and grizzled adventure-seekers alike to its lively cities, unspoiled wilderness, organic local handcrafted unionized vineyards, and completely epic skiing and mountain resorts. It is also a centre of international media and popular culture; prolifically producing and exporting music, television, film and literature.

Politically, Kelssek consists of a centralized federation of 12 provinces and one territory, governed as a republic under a system of parliamentary democracy. Although the President of Kelssek has wide-ranging nominal powers as head of state, in practice the prime minister is the most powerful political office and the Parliament of Kelssek is the nation's chief governmental body. A common title for the country is "Socialist Commonwealth of Kelssek" (Communauté socialiste du Kelssek in French); although it is not the official name the phrase "socialist commonwealth" appears in the preamble of Kelssek's constitution.

In foreign affairs, Kelssek claims a proud history of diplomatic engagement in the World Assembly and the East Pacific region. It is also prominent in global sport, having previously hosted both the summer and winter Olympic Games, the association football World Cup, and the World Cup of Hockey and Rugby World Cup on multiple occasions.

Sports
Sports play a very important role in Kelssek culture and major sporting events are liable to paralyze the country. Hockey is Kelssek's unofficial national sport and enjoys almost universal popularity, while rugby is also popular throughout the nation, though to a lesser degree. Football, water polo, curling and wintersports in general are also very popular. There is also a very lively extreme sports scene, especially skateboarding, with Kelssek home of some of the world's most well-known skaters. Kelssekians take full advantage of the country's long winters and rugged mountains, making skiing and snowboarding popular activities, while wakeboarding is also popular in the coastal provinces.

The major professional sports leagues include the Kelssek Hockey League for ice hockey, the Rugby Superleague for rugby union, the Water Polo Premier League, and the Kelssek Football League for soccer. Professional national competition also exists for lacrosse, swimming, curling, alpine skiing, and motorcycle racing, among other sports.

Kelssek's rugby and hockey teams have both had some success at the international level, most notably back-to-back wins in the 11th and 12th Rugby World Cup, and the Kelssek national water polo team is the most successful in the history of the Olympics. The nation has hosted the 4th Winter Olympics, World Cup of Hockey, and the Rugby World Cup, as well as co-hosting World Cup 46 and Cup of Harmony 77. Kelssek is also strong in swimming and in winter sports. The Kelssek Olympic Committee is responsible for Olympic Games participation and Kelssek leads in the all-time number of Olympic medals won.

Geography and climate
Kelssek is located in the northern latitudes, with approximately one-quarter of Surono above the northern polar circle and ice floes are commonplace on the Aurora Sea. The country as a whole experiences cold, snowy winters and four distinct seasons, with the mildest climate found on the coast of southern Haligonia. Warm ocean currents off the Pacific coast moderate temperatures in the densely populated east. Many peaks in the mountainous interior are permanently snow-capped, with all-year skiing possible in some areas. The Kelssek Cordillera, made up of several mountain ranges, runs through the centre of the country and is generally considered the dividing point between "eastern" and "western" Kelssek. West of the Whitetusk Mountains, large areas of relatively flat prairie wilderness dominate with a large amount of grain farming and ranching being carried out in this region; this region experiences a continental climate. Due to wind patterns, southern Konoha and the Crystal Mountains have a more temperate alpine climate with Wenerdere well-known for producing wines and tree fruits.

Kelssek's tourism industry benefits from its abundance of natural beauty, which has historically been fiercely protected by environmental laws. Wenerdere in particular attracts visitors to Icefields National Park, Haligonia to the beach resorts of the Sunrise Coast, Kewatin to the Rocky Fjordlands, and national forest reserves in many parts of the country exist. An increasing trend has been adventure tourism destined for the remote Arctic wilderness of Surono.