Bothnia

Political

Main article: Political: Bothnia

The Bothnian Democratic Republic (BDR) is a socialist state; although officially there are three main political parties within the country, in reality the Socialist Party of Bothnia (SPB) dominate the political environment, in effect allowing the Bothnian Democratic Union (BDU) and Social Democratic Alliance (SDA) to exist to offer the illusion of choice for the population.

Regional relations are good, with the exception of the relationship with Torrike which has been strained over Bothnia's spurious claim to the island of Gotland. Bothnia is also wary of the motivations of the Baltic states following their XA01 membership in 659; as a result ties with Donovia have strengthened.

Military

Main article: Military: Bothnia

The Bothnian People’s Army (BPA) consists of Land (BPAL), Naval (BPAN), and Air (BPAA) branches of service, with the supporting Rear Services and Weapons & Technology Directorates. Additionally, although not part of the BPA as such, the Border Troops and Civil Defense organizations report to the Minister of Defense through the Chief of Defense (CHOD). The Ministry of Defense (MOD) also provides the Main staff and Secretariat to the National Defense Council (NDC).

The BPAL is currently undergoing a modernization program, with the aim of its front-line formations fielding Tier 1 equipment and reserve formations inheriting the previously fielded Tier 2/3 equipment. It is anticipated that the program will be complete within the next 10 years..

Economic

Main article: Economic: Bothnia Bothnia’s downgraded economic rating has caused sources of international credit to become more expensive or dry up completely. Further downgrade is likely, causing a deepening of the recession.

Bothnia continues its trade flows with XC08, Donovia, Framland, Torrike, XC12,13,14, and Poland, but is finding it difficult to negotiate favorable terms .

Bothnia is moving away from reliance on agricultural output towards service industries.

Social

Main article: Social: Bothnia

The population of Bothnia is approximately 7,692,000, with an average annual growth rate of one percent. Bothnians are culturally and linguistically homogeneous with 99.7 % Bothnian and 0.3 % other minorities. Bothnians are of the same ethnic group as Torrike and Otso, but have developed an air of intellectual and physical superiority. This is exemplified by their considerable sporting success in the world arena. Skillful nurturing has given Bothnia a keen sense of identity.

The family is the basic unit of society. Bothnian children are educated in the socialist way of life. The increased participation of women in the work force has affected the family structure and relationships.

Information

Main article: Information: Bothnia

Bothnia has a highly developed telecommunications infrastructure for fixed‐line, mobile‐cellular, Internet and broadband penetration. The Bothnian Information systems are driven by the requirement to provide the audience both international and national with the utopian Bothnian view of “Political Stability, Legitimation and Succession”.

Infrastructure

Main article: Infrastructure:Bothnia

Bothnia has a robust infrastructure following a 10‐year economic investment program, begun in 645, with the assistance of Donovia to provide roads, railways and airports to enable swift movement of military assets. This program has built upon the numerous later Bothnian and Bothnia‐Otso joint Infrastructure projects. The national Infrastructure has also enhanced Bothnia’s economic distribution system. Notable amongst improvements over the past 30 years has been the construction and improvement of the ports that now ensure maximum access even during the coldest of winters.

Physical Environment

Main article: Physical Environment: Bothnia

The country has a long, deeply indented coast, marked by colorful red and gray granite rocks. Thousands of scenic islands lie offshore. Bothnia's neighboring countries are; Framland to the west (183 km border), Torrike (155 km border) to the north, and Otso (1361 km border) to the east. The Gulf of Bothnia borders Bothnia on the south and southwest. The northernmost part of the country lies inside the Arctic Circle in a region called the Land of the Midnight Sun. The sun shines in this region 24 hours a day for long periods each summer. Brahea, the country’s capital and largest city, is located in the south, on the Gulf of Bothnia. The country covers 155,927 square kilometers (km2), including inland water, and is largely a plateau broken by small hills and valleys and low ridges and hollows. The land rises gradually from south‐ southwest to north‐northeast, but the average altitude is only about 120 to 180 meters (m) above sea level. Mount Pyhatunturi, the country’s highest point, stands 540m above sea level.

Time

Main article: Time: Bothnia

The Bothnian approach to time, while broadly consistent with the other countries in the region differs in that the more senior/high-ranking an individual is, the more tardy they may be. This is accepted and should be taken into account when planning meetings etc. As with all countries in the region, the relative proximity to the North Pole means that in the summer the days are very long (up to 18 hours of sunlight) and short in the winter (7 hours of sunlight).