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THE WORLD - EUROPE
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THE WORLD - EUROPE |
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This page is divided into the following sections:
Click on the country names to return to the top of the page. Map of the World | Asia | Africa | North America | Central America | South America | Australasia | Antarctica AlbaniaA state which split away from the Holy Roman Empire in a nationalist uprising supported by the Ottoman Socialist Ummah during the Anti-Naturalist revolution of 1894. BohemiaA state which split away from the Holy Roman Empire in a (provoked) nationalist uprising supported by Prussia. A Comunidade Portuguese (The Portuguese Commonwealth)The Comunidade Portuguese is closely aligned with the Union, and has been for a long time, though it is not and shows no desire to become a part of the Union. Its colonies, and Brazil in particular, are fully represented parts of the Comunidade. The Kingdom of Denmark-NorwayThe second power in the Northern System, essentially a Russian satellite, the Kingdom of Denmark-Norway is a fairly poor and highly militarised nation. Iceland is an intrinsic part of the Kingdom, and Denmark also has a fairly extensive colonial empire, including the Faeroe Islands, Greenland, the Danish Virgin Islands and part of Antarctica. FinlandAn independent buffer state between Sweden and the Russian Empire, only very recently created following the war with Sweden and thus in a rather disorganised state. The French EmpireBecause it has become, and remained, more powerful then in the real world, France has become more industrialised. Versailles is the French capital, centred on the Palace of Versailles, where the King lives. It is a large city, though not as large as Paris, and merges with Paris on that edge. The Palace is the largest in the world. Paris has not been rebuilt in the same way as in the real world, for social control. However, it was rebuilt to some extent, as were many major cities, when the need for modern sanitation became impossible to ignore. Of course, there is no equivalent of the Eiffel Tower here. There are Universities of both Paris and Versailles; the latter is smaller, but more highly regarded, and funded. The French government is an absolutist system with most of the power resting in the hands of the King (France's Salic Law still applies, so only men can inherit the throne), who is of the House of Bourbon. The Estates General in France have been in essentially permanent session since the beginning of the Economic Crisis. As such they form a French Parliament. In addition to this, France's Ancien Régime has become a more constitutional monarchy over time. However, it is still quite dictatorial, although with many social and political reforms and changes over time - such as the abolition of feudalism in the wake of the Economic Collapse - which have benefited the general populace. France has been run according to the tenets of Physiocracy or its successor philosophies since the eighteenth century. Physiocracy is an economic theory that considers that the wealth of nations is derived solely from agriculture. It originated in France in the eighteenth century and was perhaps the first well-developed theory of economics. The Physiocrats dislike cities for their artificiality and instead praise more natural styles of living, celebrating farmers in particular. They see the true wealth of a nation as being determined by the surplus of agricultural production over and above that needed support agriculture itself by feeding farm labourers and so on. Other forms of economic activity, such as industry and manufacturing, are viewed as taking this surplus agricultural production and transforming it into new products. While these manufacturers and other non agricultural workers may be useful, they are seen as 'sterile' in that their income derives ultimately not from their own work, but from the surplus production of the agricultural sector. Physiocracy is strongly opposed to mercantilism (which emphasised the trade of goods between countries), as it pictures the peasant society as the economic foundation of a nations wealth. The main modification to the French system has been the development, in time, of what is known as the Bipodiste system, which sees both agriculture and industry alike as essential for the well-being of the state. Despite this, France was slower in industrialising than other nations, such as the Union. The French absolutist system has led to a somewhat strange public/private transport division. French trains are nationalised, efficient and eco-friendly. Private transport, on the other hand, tends to be (among the common people at least) just animals as this is what the King considers to best for people. So in the country there are animal-drawn vehicles bringing people to and from stations where they board efficient electric trains. Likewise there are efficient public transport systems in most French cities. However, machine-powered vehicles are common there for mess-reduction reasons. Most French roads are quite good, partly because they are used for military purposes. French laws on land usage, heavily biased towards agriculture, have driven the growth of skyscrapers in most French cities. France's Kings Guard (descended from the Musketeers) are the elite French military unit. The Ministerial Guard (descended from the Cardinal's Guard) is the second most elite unit in the French Military. However, the French King still uses Swiss Guards as his personal troops. France's chief minister is second only to the King. Because there was no French Revolution, French cuisine gained its world-wide reputation later than in the real world. French cuisine has absorbed many Indian influences, as has French fashion and style. There is a long-term French fashion for Indian things in terms of food, architecture and so on, as people working there send or bring ideas home. Related to this, there is a significant Indian-descended minority in France and across its Empire, with 'India-towns' in many cities. Because of the French holdings in the rest of the world there are also significant numbers of Africa-, China- and Japan-towns across the French empire. New French colonies and ones where a great deal of unrest is taking place are usually ruled by a military governor. Those that are more developed and peaceful are ruled by French nobles as parts of France, forming what is known as France-Outre-Mer (Overseas France). The French Empire is also allied with the independant French-descended nation of Quebec. The Mediterranean Sea is a Franco-Ottoman lake. The French currency is the Livre. Other units of currency are as follows: One Louis d'Or is four Ecus or 24 Livres or 480 Sols or 1960 Liard or 5880 Denier. The flag of France consists of a dark blue field with three golden fleur-de-lis on it in an inverted triangle known as the 'France Modern'; this is the flag used by France since 1365.
The German StatesSome German states are little more than buffers between the Union, France and the Holy Roman Empire. Some are corporate states, with a feudalistic system in which companies replace nobles as feudal lords [not unlike the works of Adam Müller in the real world]. The Holy Roman EmpireThe Holy Roman Empire is a mass of different peoples, but bureaucratic after reforms in the 18th century and the Naturalist revolution and counter-revolution of the late nineteenth century. In recent decades it has become revitalised by a perceived need for strength and unity against the Union on one side, the OSU on another and Russia on yet another. Caught in the middle of the various powers, the Holy Roman Empire allies as survival requires. Venice is part of the Holy Roman Empire. The Kingdom of NaplesThe southernmost of the three states on the Italian peninsula, consisting of the end of the Italian peninsula and the island of Sicily. The Kingdom of Sardinia (Savoy)The northernmost of the three states on the Italian peninsula, consisting of the northern end of the Italian peninsula and the island of Sardinia. Ruled by the ageing and otherwise childless King Victor Amadeus VII of Savoy, the Kingdom of Sardinia is home to the first cloned human being, the rather defective heir to the throne, Prince Charles Albert. The NetherlandsThe Dutch are caught in the middle of the various powers, and ally as survival requires. Their empire is extensive, but not particularly powerful. Because of the Dutch holdings across the world there are significant numbers of Indies- [Indonesian] and Japan-towns across the Dutch empire. With no Napoleonic Wars the Dutch still use patronymic surnames. The Northern SystemThe Northern System was founded by Russia as a means of protecting Russia's western frontier. It consists of an alliance of Russia with the Kingdom of Denmark-Norway (which also includes Iceland, Greenland and the Faeroe Islands). Russia also tried to include Prussia [as in the real world] but Prussia's close links to Britain precluded this. Russia and the Northern System are the only nations in the world to officially use the Rational system of measurements introduced as part of UER. The Northern System has evolved a flag consisting of a red field with narrow blue and white bands at top and bottom.
The Ottoman Socialist Ummah (the OSU)The Ottoman Socialist Ummah [Ummah means Community] is one of the more powerful second-ranked nations of the world, successfully combining Socialism and Islam to make the former Ottoman Empire one of the most progressive nations of the world. Smarting from her losses against Russia in the 19th century, a movement to reform the Ottoman Empire succeeded in gaining power. In the 'Jerusalem Renaissance' the New Empire Movement pushed through a crash modernisation programme and in thirty years industrialised the Ottoman Empire [in a similar manner to the real world Mieji Restoration in Japan], with considerable help from Europe in doing so. The OSU is a constitutional monarchy with a two-house parliament and its capital at Constantinople [real-world Istanbul]. Elements of it are based on the British system of government. The lower house of the OSU government is the Council of Beys, made up of representatives elected from the different areas of the Ummah. Elections to the Council of Beys are held every ten years, but members can only serve once. The OSU has universal suffrage from the age of twenty-one. Above this is the Council of Askeri, made up of those elected into the position by the Council of Beys. Members of this Council, who are elected for life, can come from the Council of Beys or from outside, and often consist of the nobility, academics, industrialists and so on. The Council of Askeri in turn select the eleven Viziers of the Divan, the Ummah Council, who make up the cabinet of the OSU. Heading the Divan is the Grand Vizier, the Ottoman prime minister, whom the Council of Beys also selects. The Council of Beys and/or the Council of Askeri can vote to dismiss members of the Divan. The Sultan remains, and is (still) of the Osmanli Dynasty, but is a constitutional monarch. Likewise the Ottoman nobility are ceremonial with no real power. Separate from the Ottoman government, the various Ministries of the Ummah handle the day to day running of the state, led by their various Ministers. The OSU encourages (largely Muslim) immigration into the less developed areas of the OSU, and the Arabian Union. This mainly, but not exclusively, consists of Indians. The OSU is as neutral as possible, but gives preferential treatment to and are allies of the French as they have little choice in the matter. Caught between the French and the Russians, they like the Russians much less to the history between them. Because of their alliances with the French the two regimes have a huge power bloc in the Middle East and Africa. Relations between France and the OSU have become more fraught in recent decades. The political systems of the two nations are growing apart, and the OSU is becoming more powerful. It is something like real-world India; a large but neutral power. This has not stopped them and the French carving up the Middle East though... The OSU is the worlds main consumer of mineral oil products, mainly for fuel. This derives both from their possessing very large natural reservoirs of mineral oil, and also because of problems with the use of alcohol as a fuel in as Islamic nation. Although a second-ranked military power, the technological level, scientific skills and industry of the OSU and the Arabian Union are second to none. Although some parts of the Arabian Union are much less developed than the OSU, together the Arabian Union is advancing towards the status of a first-ranked nation. The Arabian Union includes a variety of governments, but all are benevolent (by Ottoman lights) as a condition for membership. Being Islamic is not a condition for membership, though there are rumours that non-Muslim states are subtlety discriminated against. The OSU officially uses Arabic script rather than Latin script, although the latter is also quite widely used in non-official roles. The flag of the Ottoman Empire is the traditional Ottoman design of a white crescent moon and star on a red field.
The Papal StateThe central of the three states on the Italian peninsula, with its capital in the Vatican, in Rome. PolandA nominally independent buffer state between Russian, Prussia and the Holy Roman Empire. The Russian EmpireRussia is the controlling state of the Northern System, and the largest nation in Europe. However, because of the actions of its UER regime, Russia no longer extends far into Asia. The Russian government consists of the parliament - the Duma - made up of the nobility, but also a Tsars advisory/privy council along French lines. Because the Tsarina Catherine II [Catherine the Great] was killed early in her reign, her son, Tsar Paul I, did not introduce primogeniture into the Russian monarchy. Thus there have been both Tsars and Tsarinas since then. Since the overthrow of the Romanov Dynasty and the Russian UER regime in 1853 and its replacement by the Kurakin Dynasty, the Russian Empire has been ruled by Tsars and Tsarinas selected by a Roman-inspired adoptive system. Because of this the Russian Empire has had a succession of fairly competent rulers who have led the Empire reasonably well. As a side effect of the competition involved in the adoptive succession system, the Russian nobility have, over the years, been forced to become, and remain, largely educated and competent as well. Russia has suffrage for landowners above a certain level of income. The working classes, although not serfs any more, do not have the vote. The Russian flag is its traditional design, consisting of three equal horizontal stripes of, from the top, white, blue and red.
During the UER period, the Russian flag was modified from its traditional design to a white field with a narrow red and blue band at the bottom. This was basically the old Russian flag with the white band - representing rationalism - greatly expanded.
SerbiaA state which split away from the Holy Roman Empire in a nationalist uprising in 1961. SpainSpain is essentially a French satellite, despite various Spanish attempts to make it otherwise. SwedenThe Swedes are caught in the middle of the various powers, and over the years have allied with them as survival requires, based on the prime aim of their foreign policy, which is to remain neutral and independent of all of the French, the Union and the Northern System. In particular Sweden's being trapped inside the Northern System, but not part of it or wanting to become part of it or any other alliance system, has led to its becoming more and more militarised and insular as time has gone by. This culminated in the Incorporation War of 1998, when the Swedes used the worlds first two nuclear weapons against the invading forces of the Northern System. The recent war has unequivocally shown the rest of the world the power of the Swedish intelligence services. This is from both their keeping their nuclear programme secret from the rest of the world, and in their theft of the nuclear secrets of other nations that most governments assume must have happened for them to achieve the success that they did. The Swedes have a few small colonies in Africa, and also possess Saint-Barthélemy, a Caribbean island they bought from France in the 1780s. With no Napoleonic Wars the Swedes still use patronymic surnames. SwitzerlandSwiss mercenaries are quite common across the world, and often compete with the Zulus for work. The UnionThe Union has, over time, evolved into a sort of Federal organisation, something not entirely unlike the real-world British Commonwealth, with its capital in Hanover, and treaties of mutual defence. The government of the Union is divided. Each nation handles its own internal affairs, and sends representatives to the Upper and Lower House of the Union Parliament in Hanover, where they vote on matters affecting the Union as a whole, such as defence and foreign policy. Each nation sends twenty representatives to the Lower House, and five to the Upper House. There is universal suffrage in the Union from the age of twenty-one. All nations of the Union also have universal national service from the ages of 18 to 21, though not necessarily in the military. The Union is a constitutional monarchy, though the monarch has more power than (for example) the real-world British monarch. The monarch is the head of state of the Union as a whole, though they might also be the monarch of a nation within the Union; there are strict controls about their abusing their position if so. Several nations within the Union have Princes or Princesses who are their local constitutional royalty. Several Union settlements developed from coaling stations, particularly in Africa and on several islands. Diego Garcia in particular is an important Union naval base in the Indian Ocean. Due to prolonged contact with Britain, Prussia has become more of a constitutional monarchy. Due to prolonged contact with Prussia, Britain has become more bureaucratic and militaristic. The Union officially speaks Unionsprache (Unionspeech), a constructed composite language derived from both English and German introduced during the 1850s. It is the language of government and politics within the Union, intended to formalise the already-existing mixing of English and German occurring within the Union. English and German are still spoken, but very much as secondary languages. The Union largely consists of areas with small non-European populations, so that it is very much an ethnically-European state, with only a tiny minority of other races living in it. At the same time as the introduction of Unionsprache a unified Union currency was also introduced. This is a decimal system, consisting of Marks that are each divided into one hundred Pennies. The Union flag is a white cross (derived from the British cross of St George), with each quarter that it divides off a different colour, gold, red, blue and black, all derived from the colours of the flags of Britain, Hanover and Prussia.
The flags of the British-derived nations in the Union are the Blue Ensign with an appropriate national symbol added to it [like the real world flags of Australia, New Zealand and so on]. The city of London is quite different to that of the real world. It is larger and more polluted, with far fewer of the grand streets and Imperial monuments of London in the real world. There is no Tower Bridge, and the Houses of Parliament are very different to those of the real world, having been rebuilt in the early twentieth century after being destroyed by fire during the Second Societal Wars. WalaciaA state which split away from the Holy Roman Empire in a nationalist uprising during the Anti-Naturalist revolution of 1894. The World in 2000 | Asia | Africa | North America | Central America | South America | Australasia | Antarctica Go to the Clive-Less World Timeline, Politics, Society, Science and Technology or Differences Pages. Back to the Clive-Less World Home Page. The flags shown on this page are taken or derived from those shown on the Flags of the World web site. They are used here without permission but for personal game use only and not for profit or commercial gain. |
