Apox

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The Republic of Apox

Flag of Astograth
Flag
Motto: "If in doubt, have some cake"
Map of Apox
Map of Apox
Capital
and largest city
Dwile
Official languagesEnglish
Demonym(s)Apoxian
GovernmentUnicameral Democratic
• Leader
Daramie Jenkins
• Leader Deputatis
Minahil Sellars
• Leader of the Opposition
Shadia Holzhauser
Establishment
• Land Settled
0 A.T
• First Civil War
540 - 545 A.T
• Republic
18th June 545 A.T
Area
• Total
296,481 km2 (114,472 sq mi)
• Water (%)
0.84
Population
• 609 estimate
19,971,330
• 604 census
19,758,735
• Density
67.36/km2 (174.5/sq mi)
GDP (nominal)609 estimate
• Total
§882 billion
• Per capita
§44,651
HDI (608)Increase 0.883
very high
CurrencyApoxian Pound (§)
Date formatdd-mm-yy
Driving sideleft
Calling code+566
Internet TLD.apx

The Republic of Apox, to give it it's formal title, is a unicameral republic in the centre of the region of Esportiva. It covers approximately 300,000 square kilometres and has a population of nearly 20 million as of the 604 A.T census.

Apox has been inhabited for approximately 10,000 years as humans migrated their way south through Esportiva. The beginnings of "modern" Apox were in the year 0 A.T (Apoxian Time) as settlers founded Dwile and other cities around the country which are recognisable today. However, these were independent feudal realms and the country as Apox didn't come into being until the end of the First Apoxian Civil War in 545 A.T.

Apox is a relatively important nation within the region of Esportiva, having a GDP of §882 billion and a relatively high GDP per capita of §44,165, although there is quite high taxation in the nation and income inequality is relatively high. The nation has a focus on education and the environment and is not a power in traditional areas such as manufacturing and development.

History[edit]

The lands which Apox currently occupies were first inhabited by humans approximately 10,000 years, with humanity spreading throughout the area from the North-Eastern corner of Apox, descending over the Northern ridge of mountains along Apox's spine. A nomadic people, they didn't settle in any one area, though evidence of their existence has been found all over the country.

It isn't quite clear what caused this, but at about 5,000 before the present day, the nomadic people's all left the modern day area of Apox, and it remained largely uninhabited until nearly 600 years before the present day when settlers from what is now The Licentian Isles and Uitbregen began inhabiting the North and South of the country respectively. Dwile was founded about this time, by legendary figure Sir Charles Barton.

Apox operated as a series of feudal warring microstates from this time onwards until the First Apoxian Civil War, with the states waxing and waning in size and complexity at various times during this period, the largest state being that of Olfa from 165 - 279 A.T which at it's greatest extent covered all of Southern Apox and was only toppled when the Dukedom of Dwile and City State of Gwinevra banded together to stop Olfa's advances. After defeating the masses armies of Olfa at the Battle of Mandon in 243 A.T, the state of Olfa collapsed gradually, reverting back to a series of smaller regions.

This system of feudal lords persisted until the winter of 543 A.T at which point there was a massed people's uprising against the aristocracy which eventually became the First Apoxian Civil War. One by one, the feudal lords fell until the Monastic Northern Papacy fell in the summer of 545. A wide coalition of people, led by Hester Winklebottom managed to unify the disparate microstates in what became the Republic of Apox, modernizing and introducing a number of democratic measures.

This worked for a time as Apoxians enjoyed a time of prosperity and increased standing in the region. However, in 580 A.T, the fall of Old Guard and the acceptance of many refugees, largely into the south of the country led to troubles, initiated by the ONP (Olfa National Party). This spread around the country, leading to the Second Apoxian Civil War, fought the most bitterly in the south of the country. It was eventually crushed by "governmental" forces under Jack Greybold as Leader of Apox in that time.

Following on from the Second Civil War, with the thoughts of recreating the Olfa of old largely crushed, the country returned back to democracy and peace once more.

Geography[edit]

Apox is situated in central Esportiva, and having a generally temparate coastal climate, due to its long coastline, running along the entirety of its southern and eastern borders. The north of Apox is the coollest and wettest, in part due to having two coastlines and also due to the large range of mountains running along the interior of the country. The south of Apox is the warmest, and with the county of Border being arid and quite desertified. The central part of Apox is temperate, with warm summers and cool winters, with the most rainfall in spring. This allows it to be a strong agricultural region, and is well suited for growing crops.

Demographics[edit]

Maps & Cities of Apox

Apox is a relatively small nation, with just under 20 million citizens as of the 604 census. The population is concentrated around a number of larger cities, with the rest of the country being overwhelmingly rural. The capital, Dwile, is home to over a fifth of the entire country, with other major cities being Gwinevra, Urbanista and the Northern Conurbation of Barbury-Wrexton.

In Apox a city is a settlement classed as having over 100,000 permanent residents, while towns are settlements with over 10,000 permanent residents. A full list of settlements with a population of over 10,000 can be found in the linked article. The top 10 most populous cities are listed below:

Rank; Settlement Region Population
1 Dwile Dwile 4,473,394
2 Gwinevra Gwinevra 1,094,483
3 Urbanista Urbanista 893,854
4 Barbury Northern Conurbation 601,382
5 Wofford Wofford 451,590
6 Exton Olfa 436,602
7 Wrexton Northern Conurbation 403,812
7 Wrexton Northern Conurbation 403,812
8 Oldem Old Guard 374,132
9 Wye Border 327,108
10 Brimstone Gwinshire 284,123

Government[edit]

Apox is a unicameral parliamentary democracy, with a blending of the executive and legislature and a separate judiciary. The people of Apox believe strongly in having regular free and fair elections and this is entrenched in the unwritten set of rules which comprise Apox's constitution. The political views and policies of governments of all parties in Apox tends to be slightly left of centre comparatively.

There is a degree of devolved powers in Apox, with each of the twenty counties have a local assembly with minor powers for organising local services and amenities within county boundaries. These local assemblies vary in size and scope, and all collect a levy on top of governmental tax and receive funding from the central government as well.


An outside view of Government House

Legislature[edit]

The political centre of the nation is Government House, 1 Government Road, Dwile. This impressive building contains the Debate Chambers, where the final bills are debated and where the Government Workers (GW's) attend their public business. Additionally, all the select committee sit in Government House and all major parties have sizeable offices in the building as well.

Apox is split into 20 counties, and GW's elected via proportional representation for each region, depending on the population within the region. These comprise the 150 total GWs in Government House, although after the 604 election, the size of Government House will be expanding to 200 GW's, elected using proportional representation from each county. Following the Set Terms Bill of 588 A.T, elections for all GW officials must be held every 4 years, unless exceptional circumstances occur (terms may only be extended by a two thirds majority vote).

The Debate Chambers are where potential bills are debated and ratified into law by a vote by present GWs. There is a good bipartisan spirit within the chambers and there is a strong history of cross party collaboration when lawmaking.

Executive[edit]

The Executive is taken up by the largest party in Government House, or more frequently, a coalition of the largest parties. The party leader of the largest party becomes the Leader of Apox and the Leader in turn appoints a cabinet of no set size to assist them in organising the legislative path that the government will take during the term between elections.

The Cabinet will comprise the various heads of Government departments the size of which varies greatly, from the Departments for Treasury, Defense and Health being the largest, to the Department of Government Policy, which is the smallest. In this way, after Leader/Leader Deputatis, the seniority of the cabinet ministers can be defined based off the size of their department.

The Leader is the foremost member of the Cabinet, and the most prominent politician in the country. Their role is vaguely quantified as being somewhere between Presidential and that of a regular cabinet minister. They do not have the power to ratify or strike down bills individually, but do have a large say in what legislation should be proposed. Additionally, they do not have the power to allocate government funding individually - this must be done through the cabinet and through passing legislation in the Debate Chambers.

The Government of Apox can be dissolved and new elections called at any time during the political cycle through a vote of "No Confidence" which can be issued by any GW from any party and requires a simple majority to pass through the Debate Chambers.

Judiciary[edit]

The Judiciary of Apox is centred around the Apoxian Central Law Courts (ACLC), 4 Government Road, Dwile. In the ACLC itself is the Supreme Court of Apox, which is the highest level court of appeal in Apox. The Supreme Court is comprised of five Judges of Highest Honour (JHHs), who are elected in line with national or local elections in Apox. As a result, JHHs serve in four year terms with no term limit.

The Supreme Court performs the role of oversight on the Government and Legislature in Apox. They are the group charged with implementing and interpreting the laws made by Government House on a case by case basis and adhering to precedent. However, they are not able to overturn laws and must obey whatever passes through Government House.

There are also county courts below the Supreme Court with different levels of appeal covered at county level.