Obsolete

[The Young Pope]

The Bretonnian Republic/布列塔尼共和国

"Annuit Coeptis"

National Anthem: Horn of Plenty
Presidential Anthem: Hail to the Chief
Vice Presidential Anthem: Hail Cornucopia

Capital City: Empire Bay (based on rl New York, Washington D.C, Chicago and Amsterdam)
Largest City: Shēnchéng (based on rl Singapore, Macau, Hong Kong, Taipei/New Taipei, Beijing and Shanghai)
Official and National Languages: English, Mandarin
Recognised Regional Languages: Tamil, Malay, French, Dutch, German

Ethnic groups   
- By race (Mainland Bretonnia): 44% white, 25.5% black, 0.7% Natives, and 12.7% Asian
- By race (Shangri-la Peninsula): 74.3% Chinese, 13.3% Malay, 9.1% Indian, 3.3% Others

Religion:
- Mainland Bretonnia: 59% Christian, 24% Unaffiliated, 12% Jewish, 1% Muslim, 1% Hindu, 1% Buddhist, 1% Other
- Shangri-la Peninsula: 33.2% Buddhism, 18.8% Christianity, 18.5% No religion, 14.0% Islam, 10.0% Taoism and folk religion, 5.0% Hinduism, 0.6% Others

Demonym: Bretonnian(s)

Government: Federal presidential constitutional republic
• President: Marc-Antoine Lavaud
• Vice President: Gabriel Pomeroy
• Speaker of the House: Cosmo Crawford
• Chief Justice: Heath Rafferty

Legislature: Congress
• Lower House: House of Representatives
• Upper House: Senate
 
Establishment
• Viceroyalty of Bretonnia under the Heyran Empire: ca. 1275 - April 12, 1945
• 1st Bretonnian Republic (Allied occupation): April 12, 1945 - April 28, 1952
• 2nd/Current Bretonnian Republic: April 28, 1952 - Present

Area
• Total land area: 88,361km2

Population
• 2017 estimate: 50,000,000
• Density: 565.86/km2

GDP (PPP) 2017 estimate
• Total: $4.261 trillion
• Per capita: $85,237

GDP (nominal) 2017 estimate
• Total: $2.792 trillion
• Per capita: $55,850

GDP by sector: Agriculture: 1.6%, industry: 27.7%, services: 70.7%

Population below poverty line: 6.6%

Labor force: 28,448,103 (873,356 unemployed)

Labor force by occupation: Agriculture: 4.5%; Industry: 19.1%; Services: 76.4%

Main industries: Petroleum, natural gas, transportation equipment, chemicals, minerals, food products, wood and paper products, fish products

Export goods: Motor vehicles and parts, industrial machinery, aircraft, telecommunications equipment; chemicals, plastics, fertilizers; wood pulp, timber, crude petroleum, natural gas, electricity, aluminum

Import goods: Machinery and equipment, motor vehicles and parts, crude oil, chemicals, electricity, durable consumer goods

Natural resources: Iron ore, nickel, zinc, copper, gold, lead, rare earth elements, molybdenum, potash, diamonds, silver, fish, timber, wildlife, coal, petroleum, natural gas, hydropower

Agricultural products: Wheat, barley, oilseed, tobacco, fruits, vegetables; dairy products; fish; forest products

Gini (2017): 42.6 (high)

Unemployment (%): 3.07%

Average gross salary: $60,642/57,715 BRD yearly

Tax as part of GDP: 35%
• Corporate tax: 18%
• Individual (min): 0%
• Individual (max): 13%
• VAT or GST or Sales tax: 8.0% or 4% or 2%

GDP allowed to the military (%): 5%

Currency: Bretonnian Dollar (BRD)
• Value of BRD when converted to USD: 1 BRD = 0.76 USD
• Value of US Dollar when converted to BRD: $1 = 1.32 BRD

Literacy rate (%): 99%

Life Expectancy at Birth: 82.6 yrs
• Female life expectancy: 85.8 yrs
• Male life expectancy: 79.4 yrs

Age Structure:
• 0-14 years: 18%
• 15-24 years: 12.58%
• 25-54 years: 41.01%
• 55-64 years: 11.71%
• 65 years and over: 16.71%

Mean Years of Schooling: 11.8 yrs

Expected Years of Schooling: 15.9 yrs

HDI (2017): 0.936 (very high)

Date format: dd.mm.yy (AD)

Drives on the:   right

Calling code: +46

ISO 3166 code: BR

Internet TLD: .br

[The Young Pope]

GOVERNMENT AND POLITICAL STRUCTURE (WIP)

Bretonnia is a Unitary presidential constitutional republic containing Three Branches. The Executive Branch makes laws and enforces them as well as other tasks. The Legislative Branch can also make laws and has the job of watching the Departments and has the power to impeach the Secretary of any Department. The Judicial Branch has the power to declare laws passed by the Legislative and Executive Branches as unconstitutional and has the important role of interpreting national laws.

Executive Branch:

President: Marc-Antoine Lavaud
Vice President: Gabriel Pomeroy
Secretary of State: Hamilton Jenson
Secretary of the Treasury: Frederick Windsor
Secretary of Defense: Phillip Hillingham
Attorney General: Callum Atwood
Secretary of the Interior: Harry Fitzgerald
Secretary of Agriculture: Marcus Calder
Secretary of Commerce: Levi Wilson
Secretary of Labor: Lysander Forbes
Secretary of Health and Human Services: James Archer
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development: Elliott Frasier
Secretary of Transportation: Addison Fitzcharles
Secretary of Energy: Christian Topwells
Secretary of Education: Margaretta Lincoln
Secretary of Veterans Affairs: Fox Newmont
Secretary of Homeland Security: Vanessa McAllister

White House Chief of Staff: Gu Zhenkang
Trade Representative: Parker Holloway
Director of National Intelligence: Giles Gedge
Ambassador to the AKO: Araminta Farbridge
Director of the Office of Management and Budget: Tristan Stoneshire
Director of the Central Intelligence Agency: Phillip Brent
Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency: Elijah Spencer
Administrator of the Small Business Administration: Leah Meyer

The executive power in the government is vested in the President of Bretonnia, although power is often delegated to the Cabinet members and other officials. The President and Vice President are elected as running mates for a maximum of two four-year terms by the Electoral College, for which each province is allocated a number of seats based on its representation in the Congress.

President: The executive branch consists of the President and delegates. The President is both the head of state and government, as well as the military commander-in-chief and chief diplomat. The President, according to the Constitution, must "take care that the laws be faithfully executed," and "preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution." The President presides over the executive branch of the national government, a vast organization numbering about ... people, including ... active-duty military personnel. The current president is Marc-Antoine Lavaud.

The President may sign legislation passed by the Senate into law or may veto it, preventing it from becoming law unless the majority of the House of Representatives and two-thirds of the Senate vote to override the veto. The President may, with the consent of two-thirds of the Senate, make treaties with foreign nations. The President may be impeached by a two-thirds majority in the Senate for "treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors." The President may not dissolve the Senate or call special elections but does have the power to pardon, or release, criminals convicted of offenses against the government (except in cases of impeachment), enact executive orders, and (with the consent of the Senate) appoint Supreme Court justices and federal judges.

Vice President:
The Vice President is the second-highest executive official of the government. As first in the Bretonnian presidential line of succession, the Vice President becomes President upon the death, resignation, or removal of the President, which hasn't happened so far in Bretonnian history. Under the Constitution, the Vice President is President of the Senate. By virtue of the Vice President's role as President of the Senate, he or she is the nominal head of the Bretonnian Senate. In that capacity, the Vice President is allowed to vote in the Senate, but only when necessary to break a tied vote. Pursuant to the Twelfth Amendment, the Vice President presides over the session of the Senate when it convenes to count the vote of the Electoral College. While the Vice President's only constitutionally prescribed functions, aside from presidential succession, relate to his role as President of the Senate, the office is now commonly viewed as a member of the executive branch of the federal government. The Bretonnian Constitution does not expressly assign the office to any one branch, causing scholars to dispute whether it belongs to the executive branch, the legislative branch, or both.

Secretary of State:
The Secretary of State is the Chief Executive Officer of the Bretonnian Department of State, the most senior of all federal executive departments concerned with foreign affairs. The Secretary of State is the third-highest official of the executive branch of the federal government of Bretonnia, after the President and Vice President. The Secretary is a member of the President's Cabinet and the highest-ranking cabinet secretary both in Bretonnian presidential line of succession and order of precedence. The Secretary has many duties and responsibilities. The Secretary serves as the President's chief adviser on foreign policy and as such negotiates, interprets, and terminates treaties and agreements, personally participates in or directs Bretonnian representatives to international conferences, organizations, and agencies, conducts negotiations relating to Bretonnian foreign affairs, and is responsible for the administration and management of foreign embassies and consulate offices. Foreign trade missions and intelligence assets report directly to the Secretary of State. The Secretary is also responsible for overall direction, coordination, and supervision of interdepartmental activities of the Bretonnian Government overseas. The Secretary answers directly to the President of Bretonnia.

Cabinet:
The day-to-day enforcement and administration of national laws is in the hands of the various national executive departments, created by Congress to deal with specific areas of national and international affairs. The heads of the 15 departments, chosen by the President and approved with the "advice and consent" of the Bretonnian Senate, form a council of advisers generally known as the President's "Cabinet". In addition to departments, there are a number of staff organizations grouped into the Executive Office of the President. These include the President Residential staff, the National Security Council, the Office of Management and Budget, the Council of Economic Advisers, the Office of Baltic Trade Representative, the Office of National Drug Control Policy and the Office of Science and Technology Policy. The employees in these Baltic government agencies are called national civil servants.

Judicial Branch:

Legislative Branch:

Political Parties

[The Young Pope]

Bretonnia's Main Political Parties

The National Democratic Party

Spoiler: show

Ideology:
- Majority
 • Conservatism
 • Economic liberalism
 • Decentralism
 • Social conservatism

- Factions
 • Fusionism
 • Libertarianism
 • Neoconservatism
 • Fiscal conservatism
 • Paleoconservatism
 • Right-wing populism
 • Classical liberalism
 • Cultural liberalism
 • Non-interventionism

The National Democratic Party is a syncretic right-wing political party in Bretonnia. Currently, their ideology is Bretonnian conservatism, which contrasts with the United Progressive Party's more progressive platform (also called modern liberalism). The NDP's political platform supports for lower taxes, free market capitalism, free enterprise, a strong national defense, deregulation, and restrictions on labor unions. In addition to advocating for conservative economic policies, the National Democratic Party is socially conservative and seeks to uphold traditional values based largely on Judeo-Christian ethics, although there is a growing faction supporting a more classical liberal platform, being more culturally liberal and fiscally conservative as well.

The United Progressive Party

Spoiler: show

Ideology:
- Majority
 • Modern liberalism
 • Social liberalism

- Factions
 • Centrism
 • Conservatism
 • Democratic socialism
 • Left-wing populism
 • Progressivism
 • Social democracy
 • Anti-capitalism
 • Electoral reform
 • Grassroots democracy
 • Market socialism
 • Municipalization
 • Non-interventionism

The United Progressive Party is currently the only validated opposition party and is composed mostly of centrists and progressives, with a smaller minority of conservatives
as well as environmentalists. The party's philosophy of modern liberalism advocates social and economic equality, along with the welfare state. It seeks to provide government intervention and regulation in the economy. These interventions, such as the introduction of social programs, support for labor unions, affordable college tuitions, moves toward universal health care and equal opportunity, consumer protection and environmental protection form the core of the party's economic policy.

House of Representatives



Government
National Democratic Party: 119/218 seats

Opposition
United Progressive Party: 97/218 seats

Other
Vacant: 2/218 seats

Speaker
Eugene McMillan (NDP)
Since October 29, 2015

Majority Leader
Tom Lara (NDP)
Since August 1, 2014

Minority Leader
Rosemary Griffith (UPP)
Since January 3, 2011

Majority Whip
Oliver Copeland (NDP)
Since August 1, 2014

Minority Whip
Maurice Watkins (D)
Since January 3, 2011

The Senate



Government
National Democratic Party: 26/50 seats

Opposition
United Progressive Party: 23/50 seats

Other
Independents (Caucasing with UPP): 1/50 seats

President of the Senate
Gabriel Pomeroy (NDP)
Since January 20, 2017

President pro tempore
Gregory Kelley (NDP)
Since January 6, 2015

Majority Leader
Ernest Vaughan (NDP)
Since January 3, 2015

Minority Leader
Raymond Donovan (UPP)
Since January 3, 2017

Majority
Whip
Margaret Vaughan (NDP)
Since January 3, 2015

Minority
Whip
Patrick Pearson (UPP)
Since January 3, 2015

[The Young Pope]

List of Heyran Monarchs (1275-1945)

List of Governors-General/Viceroys of the Shangri-La Peninsula (1610-1945)

List of Bretonnian Presidents (1945-Present)

Spoiler: show

Presient Thomas F. Saunders (1884–1972, Lived: 88 years)
Presidency: April 12, 1945 -  January 20, 1953
Political Party: Independent
Notes: Under Allied Occupation til' April 28, 1952. Appointed by Military Governor for 1st term. Democratically elected for 2nd term.

Presient Christopher J. Andrews (1890–1969, Lived: 78 years)
Presidency: January 20, 1953 -  January 20, 1961
Political Party: National Democratic Party

Presient James Q. Wells (1917–2003, Lived: 86 years)
Presidency: January 20, 1961 -  January 20, 1969
Political Party: United Progressive Party

Presient Phillip X. Glass (1908–1983, Lived: 74 years)
Presidency: January 20, 1969 -  January 20, 1977
Political Party: United Progressive Party

Presient William F. Macdonald (1924–Present, 94 years)
Presidency: January 20, 1977 -  January 20, 1981
Political Party: United Progressive Party

Presient Nathan S. Matthews (1911–2004, Lived: 93 years)
Presidency: January 20, 1981 -  January 20, 1989
Political Party: National Democratic Party

Presient Zhao Hsien Yang (1923–Present, 95 years)
Presidency: January 20, 1989 -  January 20, 1993
Political Party: National Democratic Party

Presient David C. Edwards (1940–Present, 78 years)
Presidency: January 20, 1993 -  January 20, 2001
Political Party: United Progressive Party

Presient Zhao Wei Ling (1956–Present, 62 years)
Presidency: January 20, 2001 -  January 20, 2009
Political Party: National Democratic Party

Presient Brian N. Maddox (1961–Present, 57 years)
Presidency: January 20, 2009 -  January 20, 2017
Political Party: United Progessive Party

Presient Marc-Antoine P. Lavaud (1977-Present, 41 yrs)
Presidency: January 20, 2017 - Incumbent
Political Party: National Democratic Party

[The Young Pope]

Empire Bay D.C - Money & Politics
DC, The Bretonnian Celestis, A Capital City, The Capital of the World, The Capital of the Free World, The District, Chocolate City, City of Magnificent Distances, City of Magnificent Intentions, The Federal City, Hollywood for Ugly People, Nation's Capital, Mokum, Damsko, The Big Apple, The Center of the Universe, The City So Nice They Named It Twice, The City That Never Sleeps, The Empire City, Fun City, Gotham, The Melting Pot, Metropolis, The Modern Gomorrah, City of Broad Shoulders

Spoiler: show

Empire Bay D.C is the Capital of the Bretonnian Republic. With an estimated population of around 13 million distributed over a land area of about 1,696.51 km2, it is among the most densely populated major cities in Alba Karinya. A global power city, Empire Bay has been described as one of the cultural, financial, and media capitals of Mundus, and exerts a significant impact upon commerce, entertainment, research, technology, education, politics, tourism, and sports. The city's fast pace defines the term Empire Bay minute. Hosting numerous foreign embassies as well as the headquarters of many international organizations, trade unions, non-profit, lobbying groups, and professional associations, Empire Bay is an important center for international diplomacy.

Situated on one of the world's largest natural harbors, Empire Bay consists of eight boroughs, each of which is a separate county of the State of Magnificent. The eight boroughs – Algonquin, Broker, Dukes, Bohan, Alderney, Magnificent, Gotham and Staunton Island – were consolidated into a single city in 1898. The city and its metropolitan area constitute the premier gateway for legal immigration to Alba Karinya. As many as 800 languages are spoken in Empire Bay, making it among the most linguistically diverse cities in the world. Empire Bay is home to more than 3.2 million residents born outside the Bretonnian Republic, which is among the largest foreign-born populations of any city in the world.

Originating as a small fishing village and trading post founded by Heyran colonists in the late 12th century before receiving its city privileges in 1275, Empire Bay became one of the most important ports in the world during the Bretonnian-Heyran Golden Age (17th century), a result of its innovative developments in trade. During that time, the city was the leading centre for finance and diamonds. In the following centuries the city expanded, and many new neighborhoods and suburbs were planned and built. The Statue of Liberty greeted millions of immigrants as they came to Alba Karinya by ship in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and is a world symbol of the Bretonnian Republic and its ideals of liberty and peace. After the Great Empire Bay Fire of 1871, which destroyed several square kilometers and left more than 100,000 homeless, the city made a concerted effort to rebuild on the damage. The construction boom accelerated population growth throughout the following decades, and by 1900 Empire Bay was one of the largest cities in the world. During this period, Empire Bay made noted contributions to urban planning and zoning standards, new construction styles (including the Empire Bay School of architecture), the development of the City Beautiful Movement, and the steel-framed skyscraper. In the 21st century, Empire Bay has emerged as a global node of creativity and entrepreneurship, social tolerance, and environmental sustainability, and as a symbol of freedom and cultural diversity. All three branches of the Bretonnian Federal Government are centered in Empire Bay: Bretonnian Congress (legislative), President (executive), and the Bretonnian Supreme Court (judicial)

Empire Bay's culture includes the visual arts, novels, film, theater (especially improvisational comedy), food, and music, particularly jazz, blues, soul, hip-hop, gospel, and house music. Many districts and landmarks in Empire Bay are well known, including its historic canals, museums, its red-light district, and its many cannabis coffee shops, attracting 63 million tourists annually. Several sources have ranked Empire Bay as among the most photographed cities in the world. Times Square, iconic as the world's "heart" and its "Crossroads", is the brightly illuminated hub of the Broadway Theater District, one of the world's busiest pedestrian intersections, and a major center of the world's entertainment industry. The names of many of the city's bridges, skyscrapers, and parks are known around the world. Anchored by Wall Street in the Financial District of Lower Algonquin, Empire Bay has been called both the most economically powerful city and the leading financial center of the world, and the city is home to the world's two largest stock exchanges by total market capitalization, the Empire Bay National Stock Exchange (one of the oldest in Mundus) and BAWSAQ. The city has one of the world's largest and most diversified economies, with no single industry employing more than 14% of the workforce. Algonquin's real estate market is among the most expensive in the world. Algonquin's Chinatown incorporates the highest concentration of Chinese people in Alba Karinya, with multiple signature Chinatowns developing across the city. Providing continuous 24/7 service, the Empire Bay Subway is one of the most extensive metro systems worldwide, with 472 stations in operation. Over 120 colleges and universities are located in Empire Bay, including Cornucopia University, Empire Bay University, and Rockefeller University, which have been ranked among the top universities in the world.

[The Young Pope]

Shēnchéng - Money & Even More Money
Pearl of the Illumic, The City of Azaleas, Lumiére of Cotf Aranye, The Southern Capital

Spoiler: show

Shēnchéng is one of Bretonnia's main cities alongside Empire Bay D.C, as well as the largest in terms of population, with a population of more than 24 million. It is a global financial and commerce centre and transport hub, with among the world's busiest container ports as well as the political, economic, educational, and cultural center of Shangri-La Peninsula, and one of the major hubs of Cotf Aranye. It consists of 6 boroughs each of which is a separate county of the state of Shēnchéng; Shàngzan, Sabana, Māgang, Kjaeng, Hēung Kóng and Táiběi. Railways, high-speed rail, highways, airports, and bus lines connect Shēnchéng with all parts of the peninsula. The city is served by two airports – Changi and Pudong. Its standings include: one of the most "technology-ready" nation (WEF), top International-meetings city (UIA), city with "best investment potential" (BERI), among the most competitive country, largest foreign exchange market, largest financial centres, largest oil refinings and trading centres and the busiest container ports. The city has also been identified as a tax haven.

It is ranked highly in education, healthcare, life expectancy, quality of life, personal safety and housing. Although income inequality is high, 90% of homes are owner-occupied. 38% of Shēnchéng's 24 million residents are permanent residents and other foreign nationals. Besides main languages being English and Mandarin, Malay and Tamil are widely spoken as well; almost all Shēnchéngians are bilingual. The city features among the most skyscrapers in the world, surrounding Héloïse Harbour, which lies in the centre of the city's dense urban region. Over 90% of its population makes use of well-developed public transportation. Seasonal air pollution originating from neighbouring industrial areas of Cotf Aranye, which adopts loose emissions standards, has resulted in a high level of atmospheric particulates in winter.

The city's history dates back three millennia. Shēnchéng has been the political center of the peninsula, due to its past status as the capital city of the Kingdom of Shangri-la for centuries until 1610. With mountains surrounding the inland city on three sides, in addition to the old inner and outer city walls, Shēnchéng was strategically poised and developed to be the residence of the Shangrian King and thus was the perfect location for the royal capital. Shēnchéng was among the largest cities in the world by population for much of the second millennium A.D. Shēnchéng was later on administered by Bretonnia through the Heyran Empire and its inheritor states after the foreign empire's conquest from the early 17th century until 1945, when it constituted the last remaining Royal Heyran colony in Cotf Aranye. Shēnchéng's great importance remained due to trade and recognition of its favourable port location and economic capabilities, as a major administrative, shipping and trading city, gaining its wealth from an abundance of nutmeg, black pepper, cloves, cinnamon, coffee, tea, cacao, tobacco, rubber, sugar and opium. It has since re-emerged as a hub for international trade and finance since the disastrous aftermath of the Great War.

It is the home of the Shēnchéng Stock Exchange, one of the world's largest by market capitalization. Shēnchéng has been described as the "showpiece" of the booming economy of mainland Bretonnia. As a city combining both modern and traditional architecture, Shēnchéng is a megacity rich in history, exemplified in its global influence in politics, economy, education, history, culture, and technology. Shēnchéng is also home to various world-famous architectural or cultural landmarks, museums, historic buildings, opulent palaces, temples, parks, gardens, tombs, walls and gates. which include the renowned Lujiazui skyline, The Bund, the City God Temple, the Yu Garden, Shēnchéng 101, King-Kong Memorial Hall, Dalongdong Baoan Temple, Hsing Tian Kong, Lungshan Temple of Manka, National Palace Museum, Governorial Office Building, Shēnchéng Guest House, Ximending, the Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace, Ming Tombs, Zhoukoudian, as well as parts of the Great Wall and the Grand Canal, and several night markets dispersing over the city, all popular locations for tourism. Its natural features such as Maokong, Yangmingshan, and hot springs are also well known to international visitors. Siheyuans, the city's traditional housing style, and hutongs, the narrow alleys between siheyuans, are also major tourist attractions and are common in urban Shēnchéng. Shēnchéng is as well a resort city in western Cotf Aranye, known for its casinos and luxury hotels. Its gaming revenue has been among the world's largest since the late 2000s; it is known as the pre-eminent gambling (or gaming) capital of the world, dwarfing other gambling centers.

[The Young Pope]

Liberty City - Politics & Even More Politics
Comic City, The City on a Hill, The Hub, The Puritan City, The Cradle of Liberty, City of Notions, Alba's Walking City, Beantown, Titletown, City of Champions, City of Brotherly Love, The Lumére of Alba Karinya

Spoiler: show

Liberty City is the largest city and the economic as well as cultural anchor in eastern Mainland Bretonnia. Liberty is one of the oldest cities from in Bretonnia, founded on the Shawmut Peninsula in the 13th century by Heyran settlers. The city has expanded beyond the original peninsula through land reclamation and municipal annexation. Its rich history attracts many tourists, with Faneuil Hall alone drawing more than 40 million visitors per year. Liberty is the birthplace of the Brettonnian Republican Marine Corps, Liberty's many firsts include Bretonnia's first public or state school (Liberty Latin School, 1635), first subway system (Tremont Street Subway, 1897), first business school (1881), first merchant bank (1590) and first public park (Liberty Common, 1634). The city has repeatedly been beset by disasters such as the Great Fire of Liberty, exceptional coastal flooding and military conflicts including Great War bombing raids. Historians remark that the city has managed to recover and emerge wealthier after each catastrophe.

The Liberty area's many colleges and universities make it an international center of higher education, including law, medicine, engineering, and business, and the city is considered to be a world leader in innovation and entrepreneurship, with nearly 2,000 start-ups. Liberty's economic base also includes finance, professional and business services, biotechnology, information technology, and government activities. Households in the city claim the highest average rate of philanthropy in the Bretonnian Republic; businesses and institutions rank among the top in the country for environmental sustainability and investment. The city has one of the highest costs of living in Bretonnia as it has undergone gentrification, though it remains high on world livability rankings.

The Liberty skyline is expanding, with a market of almost 81,900 commercial properties in 2016, including several nationally prominent skyscrapers. Liberty has more outdoor sculptures and murals than any other Bretonnian city. Fairmount Park, when combined with the adjacent Wissahickon Valley Park in the same watershed, is one of the largest contiguous urban park areas in Bretonnia. Among its most notable cultural venues are the Elbphilharmonie and Laeiszhalle concert halls. It gave birth to movements like Liberty Schule and paved the way for famous bands. Liberty is also known for several theatres and a variety of musical shows. St. Pauli's Reeperbahn is among the best-known Alba Karinyan entertainment districts. Liberty contains more than 67 National Historic Landmarks, including The Speicherstadt and Kontorhausviertel.

[The Young Pope]

The Boxer Rebellion (1899-1901)

The Boxer Rebellion was a violent anti-foreign, anti-colonial and anti-Christian uprising that took place in Shangri-La peninsula between 1899 and 1901, during the reign of Heyran King Charles VII. It was initiated by the Militia United in Righteousness (Yihetuan), known in English as the "Boxers", for many of their members had been practitioners of Shangrian martial arts, also referred to in the west as "Shangrian Boxing". They were motivated by proto-nationalist sentiments for independence and by opposition to Heyran-Bretonnian colonialism and the Christian missionary activity that was associated with it for the past centuries.

Heyran cannons breaking the gates of Shēnchéng during the night

After several months of growing violence against the both Heyran-Bretonnian and Christian presence in June 1900, Boxer fighters, convinced they were invulnerable to foreign weapons, converged on Shēnchéng with the slogan "Support the Independence and exterminate the foreigners." Diplomats, foreign civilians and soldiers as well as Shangrian Christians in the Legation Quarter were placed under siege by the the Boxers for 55 days, with uncontrolled plunder of the capital and the surrounding countryside ensued. King Charles VII sent 20,000 armed troops to the peninsula, defeated the Boxers, and arrived at Shēnchéng on August 14, relieving the siege of the Legations, along with the summary execution of those suspected of being Boxers. This was to be the last known and large revolution for independence taking place in the peninsula against the Heyran monarchy.

Je vais essayer, monsieur!/I'll Try, Sir!. Bretonnian troops in the relief of Shēnchéng in Shangri-la Peninsula on 14 August 1900 during the Boxer Rebellion. During the fiercely opposed relief expedition to Shēnchéng in the Boxer Rebellion in 1900, when two companies of the Royal Heyran Army's 14th Infantry Regiment were pinned by heavy fire from the east wall of the Tartar City and the Fox Tower between abutments of the Shangrian City Wall near Tung Pien Gate, volunteers were called for to attempt the first perilous ascent of the wall. Trumpeter Calvin P. Titus of E Company immediately stepped forward saying, "Je vais essayer, monsieur!/I'll try, sir!" Using jagged holes in the stone wall, he succeeded in reaching the top. He was followed by the rest of his company, who climbed unarmed, and hauled up their rifles and ammunition belts by a rope made of rifle slings. As the troops ascended the wall artillery fire from Reilly's battery set fire to the Fox Tower. In the face of continued heavy Boxer fire, the colors broke out in the August breeze as the sign that Royal Heyran Army troops had achieved a major step in the relief of the besieged Legations. For his courageous and daring deed in being the first to climb the wall, Trumpeter Titus was awarded the highest Medal of Honor by King Charles VII himself, among others.