Lenapore

Lenapore

The Republic of Lenapore, also known as just Lenapore (Mandarin and Cantonese: 里立坡, Lǐlìpō/leoi5 lap6 bo1; Japanese: レナポール, Renapōru; Malay: Lenapura; Tamil: லெனாபுர) is an insular, sovereign, multicultural country in south-eastern Sondria, formed by two main islands and some smaller islets, and is constituted as a social and democratic state of law whose form of government is the semi-presidential republic.

In Lenapore lies one of the nerve centers of world trade, its capital, Lenapore City, which is the third largest financial center and the second port that has the most trade. Its globalized and diversified economy depends especially on trade and the manufacturing sector. In terms of purchasing power parity, Lenapore is the third country with the highest per capita income in the world, as well as being among the first countries in the international lists of education, health, political transparency and economic competitiveness.

Lenapore is recognized as a founding member of the Association of Southeast Sondrian Nations and has hosted the secretariat of the Sondrian-Northulic Economic Cooperation Forum, as well as being part of the East Sondrian Summit, of the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries and of the G-20. The rapid development of the country has led it to have an important influence in international affairs and to some analysts consider it an intermediate power.

The country is home to 25 million residents, 34% of whom are foreign nationals, including permanent residents. There are six official languages: English, Malay, Mandarin, Cantonese, Japanese and Tamil; most Lenaporeans are bilingual and English serves as the nation's lingua franca. Its cultural diversity is reflected in its extensive ethnic cuisine and major festivals. Pew Research has found that Lenapore has the highest religious diversity of any country. Multiracialism has been enshrined in its constitution since independence, and continues to shape national policies in education, housing, politics, among others. Due to such status, Lenapore has been repeatedly nicknamed as "Sondria's Rainbow Country" by comparing it to new policies adopted in South Bulungi when Apartheid fell. Many people consider Lenapore as comparable to South Bulungi if the policies were equitable to everybody and that the pre-coup was similar to life under Apartheid but without segregation.

Etymology

The name comes from the Lasgra word for "lion" (lena) and the Malay suffix -pura, meaning "city". The name figuratively means "Lion City".

Alternatively, the name can also be attributed to the king's affinity for merlions (then classified as ketea hindikoi).

History

Ancient times

In the past, the country's current territory was divided between Lasgra and Malayan tribes. It is known that the area where Lenapore City lies today was a refuge for kings from the Majapahit empire, as a bridge between Lena Nadu and Hindolania. Though at the time, the territories encompassed the south-eastern sector of South Lenapore - what would eventually become the capital many years later. The rest consisted of lawless kingdoms and fiefdoms. By the 17th and 18th centuries, most of these kingdoms merged.

Colonists

In 1818, modern Lenapore was created by the Michillian and Nashlandian colonial empires. North Lenapore was given to the Nashlandians and South Lenapore to the Michillians. A port was set up by Michillian statesman Stanley Raffles in the south so that it could be used by both powers and was founded in January 1819.

Following a series of talks with the sultan, in 1824 the islands became a part of their respective empires. In 1826, the territory became known as Straits Settlements, under the Nashlandian East Hindies company, becoming the regional capital in 1836. Prior to Raffles' arrival, the population on both islands was estimated to be around 10,000, a mixture of native Lasgra and Malay along with a handful of Kaizhungese, Oriencian and Ishigakian immigrants. By 1860, the population had swelled to 120,000, mostly Kaizhungese and Ishigakians, and were working on the natural plantations.

Since World War 1 didn't even reach south-eastern Sondria, Lenapore remained largely unaffected. At the start of the century, the number of Kaizhungese immigrants grew substantially. At the time, the population was of around 4,000,000. In 1923, Nashland built the large Lenapore Naval Base.

Oriencian occupation

During the Second World War, the Army of the Oriencian Empire invaded the Michillian-Nashlandian Straits Settlements, culminating in the Battle of Lenapore. When the Nashlandian force of 60,000 troops surrendered on 15 February 1942, Nashlandian Prime Minister Winston Churchill called the defeat "the worst disaster and largest capitulation in Nashlandian history. Nashlandian losses during the fighting for Lenapore were heavy, with a total of nearly 85,000 personnel captured, in addition to losses during the earlier fighting in Malaya. About 5,000 were killed or wounded, of which Northulians made up the majority. Oriencian casualties during the fighting in Lenapore amounted to 1,714 killed and 3,378 wounded. The occupation was to become a major turning point in the histories of several nations, including those of Orience, Nashland, and the then-colonial state of Lenapore. Oriencian newspapers triumphantly declared the victory as deciding the general situation of the war. Lenapore was renamed Shonan-to (昭南島), meaning "Light of the South". Between 5,000 and 25,000 ethnic Kaizhungese people were killed in the subsequent Sook Ching massacre.

Nashlandian forces had planned to liberate Lenapore in 1945; however, the war ended before these operations could be carried out. It was subsequently re-occupied by Nashlandian, Hindustani and Northulian forces following the Oriencian surrender in September.

Post-war period

Once Orience surrended from the war, Lenapore fell into a brief state of violence and disorder. This led to Lenapore's "Great Depression" as a joint colony.

The Nashlandians and the Michillians surrendered Lenapore to Orience but gave the colonies to Nashlandian Malaya in 1945, where they became federated into the newly-independent country in 1957.

Independence

On September 2, 1962, Lee Kwan Yew gave a speech on radio and television in wbich it criticized Malaya and was forced to secede from the union. This led to the formal independence and creation of the modern-day Republic of Lenapore. During its first two decades, it was led by prime minister Lee Kuan Yew, whose policies were responsible for Lenapore's prosperity and authoritarianism.

The fall of Lee Kwan Yew

Main article: 1984 Lenapore coup d'état

Starting in 1984, when Lenapore's greatest political scandal erupted, the government started to drop authoritarianism, in a spark of freedom that was priorly ignited by the Michillian coup d'état earlier on in the year. Lenapore wouldn't become a full democracy until 1994, where its position in the international markets was strengthened.

It has subsequently become one of the world's most prosperous countries, with strong international trading links (its main port is one of the world's busiest) and with per capita GDP above that of the leading nations of Western Eurectipheria.

Geography

Lenapore's states and autonomies

Lenapore is divided into ten states and two autonomies. Here, the definition of state is unlike many other countries whose primary subdivision goes under said name. Lenapore isn't a federal state per se although the closest thing to a federation is within the Handak and Xalxas autonomies, both considered autonomous due to their cultural status.

About a third of Lenapore's 25 million people live in the Lenapore City state, the city itself occupies roughly half of the state's territory, as some smaller cities were amalgamated into it in a style similar to Orience. The heart of Lenapore's rural areas is located in North Lenapore's states, where, in parts of it, local cultures like ethnic Malays and the indigenous Handakian and Xalxan peoples prevail above the dominant Oriencian and Kaizhungese.

Flag	Abbreviation	Name	Capital	Population
	NL	North Lenapore		4,613,825
	AR	Arau		1,124,410
	LN	Lena Nadu
	KY	Kawayama	Kawayama City
	HY	Hangyue
	SL	South Lenapore
	HN	Hamanashi	Hamanashi City
	CM	Cantonments	Cantonments City
	ST	Sentosa	Sentosa Coast
	LC	Lenapore City	Lenapore City
	HA	Handak Autonomy	Bonoro
	XA	Xalxas Autonomy	Rangeedu	57.245

Government and politics

Main articles: Government of Lenapore, Politics of Lenapore, Human rights in Lenapore and Administrative divisions of Lenapore

Lenapore has a fusion of the Nashlandian Westminster and Michillian State Control constitutions, making the country a true democracy. Lenapore has a highly successful, corruption-free, market economy. The country's constitution establishes a representative democracy as the political system. Executive power rests with the Cabinet of Lenapore, led by the prime minister, and, to a much lesser extent, the President. The President is elected through a popular vote, and has veto powers over a specific set of executive decisions, such as the use of national reserves and the appointment of judges, but otherwise occupies a largely ceremonial post.

The Parliament serves as the legislative branch of the government. Members of Parliament (MPs) consist of elected, non-constituency and nominated members. Elected MPs are voted into the Parliament on a "first-past-the-post" (plurality) basis and represent either single-member or group representation constituencies. The People's Action Party has won control of Parliament with large majorities in every election since self-governance was secured in 1957. Multiracialism, a key reason for its separation from Malaysia, is enshrined in its constitution since independence, and continues to shape major national policies in education, housing, politics and others.

Lenapore has since had healthy relations with most countries of the Western world and the ASESON. Lenapore is one of the fewest countries in the world to have relationships with every other country, including Joseon.

Local power is invested in the states. Despite consisting itself of states, it is not a federation, as Lenapore has a prime-minister. The closest states that act more like separate countries are the Handak and Xalxas Autonomies, with their own government, languages and legislation.

Culture

A food stall in Lenapore

Lenapore has a diversity of languages, religions, and cultures. Former Prime Ministers of Lenapore, Lee Kuan Yew and Goh Chok Tong, have stated that Lenapore does not fit the traditional description of a nation, calling it a society-in-transition, pointing out the fact that Lenaporeans do not all speak the same language, share the same religion, or have the same customs. Even though English is the first language of the nation, according to the 2010 census, 20% of Lenaporeans are illiterate in English. This is however an improvement from 1990, when 40% of Singaporeans were illiterate in English. Oficially, since 1984, the English used is based on the Michillian-Sierran standard, though carrying dialectal influences from Northulia, Great Scorria and the New Michillies.

The official languages are English, Mandarin, Cantonese, Japanese, Malay and Tamil. Malay is also Lenapore's national language but this is largely symbolic, being the language of the national anthem. The ruling PAP has preferred to promote English as the country's lingua franca, with Malay being confined largely to its native speakers, with relatively few of the majority Kaizhungese and Hindic Singaporeans speaking it. Japanese was brought in from Ishigakians who migrated to Lenapore in the 18th century. Cantonese was banned outright from 1978 to 1984, during the Speak Mandarin Campaign, but during the coup of 1984, it was allowed again, as a sign of progress and diversity. English is written under the Michillian-Sierran-Hopelandian orthographical norm by law, to the opposition of some people (mostly Hindustani and Bengalian immigrants).

The official symbol of Lenapore is the merlion, apparently based on a legend that a Hindic Cetea lion (basically a merlion) lived in Lenapore at the home of the emperor's refuge. The tourist board's mascot, the Lionfish, features the head of a lion and the body of a fish, and is an international tourism icon. Both the merlion and the Lionfish, as well as other meranimals, are of great interest to the local merpeople.

The general Lenaporean culture is a mixture of Kaijungese, Malayan and general South East Sondrian, with Tamil and Japanese-speaking regions. The autonomous regions have two separate cultures, Handak and Xalxas, which are mainly Lasgra, yet have influences from the Polynesian Nosghelians and Tamils respectively.

Another common feature is the national cuisine, with four main sets of cuisine: Kaijungese, Ishigakian-Oriencian, Tamil and Malay.

The national fruit is the durian. Its smell forbids it from being consumed in places like buses, trains, hotels and is often consumed in the open air.

The Japonic influence has created Lenime, a subgenre of Lenaporean animation for the Japanese-speaking market..

National holidays

There is a high number of national holidays due to Lenapore's high amount of cultures, but not all of them are respected by the entirety of the population. The following are:

• January 1: New Year's Day
• January/February: Lunar New Year
• February: Lasgra New Year
• March/April: Good Friday and Easter Sunday (not oficially observed)
• March 7: Flag Day
• April/May: Golden Week (Oriencian communities)
• May 1: Labor Day
• May: Wesak (Buddhist and Hinduist communities)
• May/June: Vartra Festival of Colors
• depends: Ramadan (not oficially observed nationwide but observed in some Malay communities in the north)
• August 31: National Day
• October/November: Deepavali (not oficially observed nationwide)
• December 25: Christmas Day
• Shawwal 1: Hari Raya Eid ul-Fitri/Aidilfitri (see Ramadan for observance)
• Dhu al-Hijjah 10: Hari Raya Aidiladha (see above for observance)

Languages

The country has six de facto official languages: English, Mandarin, Cantonese, Japanese, Malay and Tamil. Two languages have a special status within the country: Handak in the Handak Autonomy and Xalxas in the Xalxas Autonomy. Most Lenaporeans are bilingual and English is used as a lingua franca.

In 1984, Cantonese became an official language, after a ban that lasted for six years that was highly controversial.

Malay is the de facto national language. It is used in the national anthem.

A pidgin language called Lenglish exists, but the government refuses its usage.

Economy

Lenapore enjoys a highly developed and successful free-market economy, characterised by a remarkably open and corruption-free environment, stable prices, and one of the highest per capita GDPs in the world. Along with Hang Peng, Daehan and Xiaowan, Lenapore is one of the former Four Sondrian Tigers, but has surpassed its peers in terms of GDP per capita.

For several years, Lenapore has been one of the few countries with an AAA credit rating from the "big three", and the only Sondrian country to achieve this rating. Lenapore attracts a large amount of foreign investment as a result of its location, skilled workforce, low tax rates, advanced infrastructure and zero-tolerance against corruption. Lenapore has the world's eleventh largest foreign reserves, and one of the highest net international investment position per capita. There are more than 8,000 multinational corporations from the United States, Orience, Ishigaki and Eurectipheria in Lenapore. There are also approximately 1,500 companies from Kaizhung and a similar number from Hindustan. Roughly 44 percent of the Lenaporean workforce is made up of non-Lenaporeans. Over ten free-trade agreements have been signed with other countries and regions. Despite market freedom, Lenapore's government operations have a significant stake in the economy, contributing 22% of the GDP.

Lenapore is the second-largest foreign investor in Hindustan and the largest in Tangwa and Timor. It is the 14th largest exporter and the 15th largest importer in the world. The government owned almost every public utility corporation until the fall of Lee Kwan Yew in the 1984 coup. Since the economical reform that gave a boost to the country's prosperity, privatizing partial or whole companies has become a trend. Notable companies include Mediacorp, Lentel, StarHub and Talk2Me. Some companies have also expanded operations to other countries. In the past, A+ Computing was one of the most popular brands.

International deals have been increasing since the coup. Many people believe that this might be due to the growth of Lenapore Airlines.

The currency of Lenapore is the Lenapore dollar (LPD or LP$), issued by the Monetary Authority of Lenapore (MAL). It is interchangeable with the Malayanese dollar at par value since 1967, owing to their historically close relations. MAL manages its monetary policy by allowing the Lenapore dollar exchange rate to rise or fall within an undisclosed trading band. This is different from most central banks, which use interest rates to manage policy.

Tourism forms a large part of the economy, with over 35 million tourists visiting the country in 2017. To expand the sector, casinos were legalised in 2001, but only four licences for "Integrated Resorts" were issued, to control money laundering and addiction. Lenapore also promotes itself as a medical tourism hub: about 400,000 foreigners seek medical care there each year. Lenapore medical services aim to serve at least one million foreign patients annually and generate USD3 billion in revenue. In 2015, Lonely Planet and The New Yale Times listed Lenapore as their top and 6th best world destination to visit respectively.

Law

Lenapore is known for its fines. Despite the phrase "Lenapore is a fine country", where "fine" has negative connotation, not all areas are prone to these fines, often restricted to larger cities like Lenapore Cities, Cantonments and Hamanashi. Some of these fines include:

• Ban on chewing gum, particularly in Lenapore City. Few areas, mostly around the north, allow gum from being sold, especially in the states of Arau, Lena Nadu and the Handak and Xalxas Autonomies.
• Urinating in elevators. This law applies to Lenapore City.
• Spitting in public. This law applies to Lenapore City, Cantonments and Hamanashi (only in public).
• Littering. Arguably the most widespread of these laws, applies to all states but not the autonomies. Despite the lack of a ban on littering in Handak and Xalxas, their respective governments have plans to stop littering in public.

Infrastructure

Information and communications

Information and communications technologies (ICT) is one of the pillars of Lenapore's economic success. However, Lenapore's mass communications networks, including television and phone networks, have long been operated by the government, yet have been regulated by private enterprises since the 90s. When Lenapore first came online, Lenaporeans could use Teleview to communicate with one another, but not with those outside of their sovereign country. Publications such as The Wall Street Journal were initially censored, as a side effect from the old regime, which was starting to be paved out in favor of progress.

Transport

Lenapore is a major international transport hub in Sondria, serving some of the busiest sea and air trade routes. Changi Airport is an aviation centre for Southeast Asia and a stopover on the Kangaroo Route between Southgate and Oxton.

Education

Education for primary, secondary, and tertiary levels is mostly supported by the state. All institutions, private and public, must be registered with the Ministry of Education. English is the language of instruction in all public schools, and all subjects are taught and examined in English except for the "mother tongue" language paper. While the term "mother tongue" in general refers to the first language internationally, in Lenapore's education system, it is used to refer to the second language, as English is the first language. Students who have been abroad for a while, or who struggle with their "Mother Tongue" language, are allowed to take a simpler syllabus or drop the subject.

Education takes place in three stages: primary, secondary, and pre-university education. Only the primary level is compulsory. Students begin with six years of primary school, which is made up of a four-year foundation course and a two-year orientation stage. The curriculum is focused on the development of English, the mother tongue, mathematics, and science. Secondary school lasts from four to five years, and is divided between Special, Express, Normal (Academic), and Normal (Technical) streams in each school, depending on a student's ability level. The basic coursework breakdown is the same as in the primary level, although classes are much more specialised. Pre-university education takes place over two to three years at senior schools, mostly called Junior Colleges.

Demographics

Population

About 25 million people live in Lenapore. Its population is highly concentratted in urban areas, with a third living in Lenapore City. The urban population accounts to around four fifths of the country's population.

Religion

Lenapore is one of the countries that has a high choice of religions. Buddhism is the most-practiced, followed by Christianity, Islam, Taoism, Hinduism and the Lasgra religions, including Vartra, which is indigenous to the Xalxas Autonomy. Jehovah's Witnesses have been banned for promoting hate speech. Around one fifth of the population is irreligious.

Sports

Water sports like swimming are really popular. Lenaporean swimmer Lim Ishikawa gained Lenapore its first gold medal as a sovereign country in 2000, during the Southgate Olympics.

Lenapore also has its own top-level association football league, the L. League, consisting of eighteen teams, six coming from Lenapore City and the rest from other regions.

Media

Main articles: Media of Lenapore; Radio in Lenapore; Television in Lenapore

The media sector is controlled by the Media Regulatory Authority. Lenapore has the freest media in the ASESON region. Television series from abroad usually come from the source and are nit subject to further local censorship. Because of these regulations, companies operate separate feeds of regional channels exclusively for the Lenaporean market.

Companies linked to the government make up a significant role of Lenapore's media. The government operates LPBS. A commercial entity known as Mediacorp operates roughly twelve radio stations and fourteen television channels. Starhub and Lentel operate their pay-TV services with around 200 to 300 channels on each operator, and about three quarters of the channels are shared by both operators. Mediacorp was formerly operated by the government and aims to stop being a GLC at the short-term.

Press freedom is rising in Lenapore, in 2004, Reporters Without Borders placed Lenapore in 121th place, in 2014, it has risen to 59th place. Part of the reason why is because television and the radio don't give strong support to the opposition and LPBS, as well as the non-LPH newspapers, have been aiding support for the opposition without directly screening political ads. Mediacorp is known for its bias to the ruling parties. LPBS and E-Television aren't.

Ownership of private satellite dishes is forbidden unless it is a subscription to Lentel or Starhub's satellite services of the government-funded Lenapore Satellite Network, a subscription-free service targeting areas with poor terrestrial television reception. Some of these restrictions started going loose as of late, especially from the Malay speakers of the coutnry.