Craftia

Craftia (/ˈkrɑːftɪə/  krahf -ti-ə), officially the Republic of Craftia, is an island country located in southern Lantara, compromising the islands of Craftia, Lumina, and numerous smaller islands. It shares maritime borders with Loland to the north and Miners Republic to the north-west. Craftia's capital is Bankera, while the largest urban area is Notchropolis.

Craftia was one of the last places on Earth to be settled by humans. Various indigenous tribes have occupied the island of Craftia for at least 2100 years and the island of Lumina for at least 1800 years, when they migrated southwards to the islands from the Loland archipelago and the Lantaran mainland. The tribes on the island of Craftia share a common language known as Reatinese, while a regional dialect known as Luminese is spoken on Lumina. The indigenous Craftians lived on the island, traditionally known as "Reatina", with relative peace until the fourth century CE, when the island was taken over by various empires. Political instability wracked the island for centuries before the Empire of Reatina was established in 1447. The Empire began to colonise small islands throughout the Southern Lantaran Ocean, including the Lantanesian archipelago.

Throughout the 13th to 15th centuries, Asian settlers (mostly Chinese and Japanese) arrived on the island and established colonies in the north, the first being the Colony of Jebbin in 1274. At this point the island was shared relatively peacefully between the indigenous Reatinese and the settlers. The first Europeans settled on the island en masse by the 16th century. The population expanded rapidly in the subsequent decades, and by the late 18th century a majority of the island had been explored and seven colonies established, with the Reatinese monarchy now occupying a small territory in the south of the island.

On 24 January 1805, the colonies, which had become mostly autonomous territories, federated as the Kingdom of Craftia, and the entire island was united with a highly decentralised federal absolute monarchy, after the Reatinese monarchy abandoned its isolationist policy and started trade and bilateral relations with foreign powers. Although the monarchy retained nominal absolute power over the central government, in practice each of the colonies-turned-prefectures were governed as constitutional monarchies with premiers as their heads of government.

Under the Narralan Reforms in 1850, the country officially became a constitutional monarchy with further decentralisation of the prefectures and the creation of the office of Prime Minister. The island still continued to struggle with conflict from external forces, especially the newly socialist Miners Republic, which invaded and annexed the island in 1892. Craftia was ruled by the Marxist-Leninist state as an overseas territory with a governor as head of government until 1945, when limited self-government was achieved, and the territory became the Province of Craftia.

Political turmoil began to stir in the 1960s and 1970s with the rise of Craftian nationalism and separatism, which broke out into low-level guerrilla conflict in 1978. The lengthy Craftian War of Independence (1978–1987) severely damaged Craftia's economy and infrastructure, and in 1984 the island was split into eastern and western zones to curb the escalating conflict between the Minean forces and the Craftian Revolutionary Army.

On September 16, 1987, the eastern half of the island gained de jure independence from the Miners Republic as the Republic of Craftia after the war and a period as an autonomous region. West Craftia remained under the control of the Miners Republic until 1992. Reunification with the Republic of West Craftia occurred on 20 May 2004. Since decolonisation, Craftia has maintained a steady liberal democratic political system functioning as a federal parliamentary republic comprising nine states and two territories. Civic participation in elections and referendums is extremely high; voter turnout remains at approximately 95% on average.

The population of 24.4 million is highly urbanised, and approximately 17.5% of the population lives in the largest city, Notchropolis. The population of Craftia is heavily concentrated along the coast and in the northern and eastern states, is highly multicultural, and ethnically, linguistically and religiously diverse. Following the abolition of the White Craftia policy in 1985, the federal government's position has been to encourage and promote racial harmony based on a policy of multiculturalism. This, combined with a high immigration and refugee intake, has resulted in high ethnic and religious tolerance. Craftia is regarded as one of the most successful multicultural nations in the world. Today, a majority of the population is of Asian heritage, with significant European and indigenous minorities. The country is regarded as highly liberal and socially progressive, having fully legalised abortion in 1989, same-sex marriage in 2007, voluntary euthanasia in 2023 and recreational marijuana in 2040, with the Craftian government being a pioneer of the official policy of 'Legalise and Regulate' in regards to social issues. The Craftian universal healthcare and education systems are ranked highly by international standards.

The nation is officially trilingual – English, Mandarin Chinese and Japanese share equal status constitutionally, and an additional five languages, including Reatinese, are recognised as national minority languages. English remains Craftia's de facto lingua franca and most prominent language due to its heavy use in public, commercial, governmental and educational life – a remnant of British colonialism. More than 96% of Craftians are fluent in English and 47% speak it at home. Craftia is home to one of the world's largest immigrant populations, with immigrants accounting for 31% of the population.

Craftia is a highly developed country with a stable mixed-market economy, having recovered significantly since the end of the Craftian War of Independence. Throughout the early 21st century, the country achieved considerable prosperity, undergoing rapid industrialisation, technological innovation and development and maintaining exceptionally high growth rates from the 2000s to the 2030s, parallel with neighbouring Loland and South Tendos. The rapid development of these countries led to the three becoming known as the Southern Lantaran Tigers. Craftia measures high on international measurements of government stability and transparency, civil liberties, quality of life, education, economic freedom, inclusiveness, tolerance and personal rights. Craftia has been ranked within the top eight positions in the Democracy Index since its inception in 2045. Craftia is a founding member of the Association of Southern Lantaran Nations. Today, Craftia is an influential nation in the world, mainly due to its efficient democratic government, stable economy, years of prosperity and stability, and inclusive progressive values.

On 30 May 2074, Craftia became the first country in the world to be governed by women simultaneously in all three branches of government – Natalie Wang-Lee as Prime Minister, Melati Tjandra as President and Jacky Mei as Chief Justice (in addition to Catherine Barikirta as Deputy Prime Minister and Madelyn Ching as Speaker of the House of Representatives).

Etymology
The name Craftia has been in use to describe the island since the early 19th century. Previously, the island was known as Reatina and has been historically been named this since antiquity. Reatina means 'beautiful land' in Reatinese, the indigenous language of Craftia. Craftia is a corruption of the Reatinese word kurafta, meaning 'shared land'.

Early history (pre-empire era, pre-1447)
The island of Craftia has been inhabited for at least 2100 years, with the earliest signs of humans dating from circa 100 BCE. Early indigenous Reatinese tribes were scattered across the island, but mostly concentrated in the centre, straddling what is today the Kagstron-Meyang border. Qwertopolis, the first city, being established in 58 CE. The Kingdom of 'Reatina' (beautiful land in Reatinese), was established in 326 CE.

The island suffered from invasions by the Silong Kingdom and Miners Empire throughout the first millenium. It was also annexed to the Infiniminers Empire during the entire 5th century, which started colonisation and caused massive destruction of indigenous Reatinese culture.

Towards the end of the kingdom's rule, a large wave of Asian immigrants, mainly Chinese, settled on the island, leading to the Reatinan Rebellion of 1446.

Empire era (1447 - 1805)
After the rebellion, the kingdom became an empire in 1447. Problems arose within the empire as the Miners Republic constantly invaded the island. The Empire of Reatina collapsed in the late 18th century, leading to more conflict. By 1805, the extremely weak nation of Reatina suffered from a disastrously inflated economy, low population, poverty and famine. The Kingdom of Craftia was established with the renaming of Reatina on April 10, 1805.

Monarchy era (1805 - 1892)
This improved kingdom fared much better than its predecessor. The previously ruling Xuan Dynasty reformed the government, changing the empire into a monarch (retaining the Empire of Craftia name). The dynasty was quickly overthrown by the Clarendon House during the Clarendon Revolution in 1810. New governments were implemented, banning non-European immigration to the country, in an attempt to curtail the majority Asian population. As a result, many Craftian nationals of Asian descent left the island for neighbouring Loland, which had no such policies or problems with government.

Communist era (1892 - 1945)
The monarchy of Craftia was annexed to the Miners Republic in 1892 after a well-hidden invasion took place. The nation quickly fell apart under the control of the Miners Republic as further reforms of government occurred. The government of the Miners Republic, which was predominantly Chinese at the time, reinstated Mandarin as a compulsory language.

Provincial era (1945 - 1987)
The Territory of Craftia gained autonomy of sorts in 1945, paving the way for freedom from many of the restraints of the Miners Republic. A democratic parliament was established and communism was overthrown, though this lead to another policy forcing Asians out of the country in fear of the Miners Republic.

After several attempts to gain independence, the Craftian War of Independence broke out in 1978, resulting in a nine-year war between the two conflicting countries. During the war, in 1984, the island was partitioned into East (the modern states of Jebsten, Addams, Meyang, Berhardsson and the BCT), and West Craftia (the modern states of Western Craftia, Kagstron, Lumina, Wintaro and Jagsland). East and West Craftia were occupied by the Craftian and Minean armies respectively. By the end of 1984, the war was tipping in favour towards the Craftian army, supported by more countries than the Miners Republic. A treaty made by the Miners Republic was signed in December 1986 to stop the war. On January 1, 1987, the Miners Republic relinquished control of most of the Craftian mainland, and East Craftia became the Autonomous Region of Craftia, with its own Prime Minister (Lachlan Charles), while the Miners Republic remained in control of the remnants of West Craftia (today's Western Craftia and Lumina), and renamed it as the Province of West Craftia (which itself would gain independence in 1992 as the Republic of West Craftia). The Autonomous Region of Craftia was almost completely recognised worldwide as an independent nation and not an autonomous region of the Miners Republic.

Independence and the modern day (1987 - present)
After pressure from the UN towards the Miners Republic, the Autonomous Region of Craftia officially gained independence on September 16, 1987 and was renamed the Republic of Craftia. Six new states were drafted (Addams, Jagsland, Jebsten, Kagstron, Meyang and Wintaro) from old county divisions and districts, and finalised. The largest city at the time, Notchropolis, was established as a provisional capital until the completion of the planned proper capital, Bankera. The Bankera Capital Territory was declared a territory in 2001 with the moving of the capital city from Notchropolis to Bankera. Neighbouring West Craftia (including Lumina) remained in the territory of the Miners Republic until 1992, when it became independent. In 2004, after negotiations between governments, West Craftia was peacefully reunited with East Craftia and became the seventh state (and renamed Western Craftia), while the entire island was renamed Craftia. The region of Berhardsson was declared the eighth state in 2017 and the island of Lumina (formerly part of Western Craftia) seceded from Western Craftia and became the ninth state in 2022. No changes to the state borders have been made since.

Government and politics
Craftia is a federal parliamentary constitutional republic. Its political system operates under the framework laid out in the Constitution of Craftia, which was created in 1987. Amendments require a majority of both houses of parliament and a nationwide public referendum.

The President of Craftia, currently Melati Tjandra (2071–present), is the head of state, and has a largely ceremonial role as the highest representative of Craftia on the world stage. In extraordinary circumstances, the president can use reserve powers, including dismissing the government (such a case was the dismissal of the Abbott Government in 2050).

The Prime Minister of Craftia, currently Natalie Wang-Lee (2074–present), is the head of government, and is appointed by the Prime Minister after being designated by the House of Representatives. The Prime Minister exercises executive power through the Cabinet. Federal legislative power is vested in the parliament consisting of the House of Representatives and the Senate, which together form the legislative body.

The federal government is separated into three branches:
 * Legislature: the bicameral Parliament of Craftia, defined in section 1 of the constitution as comprising the President, the Senate, and the House of Representatives;
 * Executive: the Cabinet of Craftia, including the Prime Minister;
 * Judiciary: the High Court of Craftia and other federal courts, whose judges are appointed by the President on advice of the Cabinet.

Craftia's legislative body is the Federal Parliament, seated in Bankera. It is a bicameral body, comprising the House of Representatives as the lower house with 150 seats, of which 100 are elected by direct popular vote using full preferential voting, and the remaining 50 elected through closed party lists, and the Senate as the upper house with 76 seats, elected through single transferable vote. The parliaments of the states and territories all use full proportional voting for their elections. Voting is compulsory for all enrolled citizens aged 18 and over in every jurisdiction, as is enrolment. A party or coalition with majority support in the House of Representatives forms the government and its leader becomes Prime Minister. Since the House of Representatives operates under a proportional system, only very rarely does a party win an outright majority (no such situation has occurred since 2028), governments are almost always formed comprising multiple parties, either as coalitions with formal agreements and power-sharing (including Cabinet and ministry positions) between multiple parties, or as a single party forming a minority government with confidence and supply from smaller parties.

There are three major political parties that usually form government, federally and in the states and territories; the social liberal Liberal Party of Craftia, the social democratic National United Party and the social conservative Craftian Conservative Party. Within Craftian political culture, the Conservative Party is considered centre-right, the United Party is considered centrist to centre-left and the Liberal Party is considered centre-left. The United and Conservative parties are the dominant pair, with most electoral battles in the country being between them; the Liberal Party is usually relegated to a third party position. Thus, Craftia is often referred to as having a "two-and-a-half party system" rather than a pure two-party system. The more significant minor parties include the populist Craftian Reform Party, the minority rights-basedMojang Democratic Party and the environmentalist Craftian Greens.

Demographics
Until the Craftian War of Independence, the vast majority of settlers and immigrants came from the British Isles, mostly from England. These Craftians form an ethnic group known as British Craftians. Since the abolition of the White Craftia policy in 1985 and the advent of official multiculturalism, the former European plurality has shrunk considerably, from 64.3% in 1988 to 37.0% in 2072. Asians have formed a plurality of the Craftian population since 2020 and a majority since 2056. However, English Craftians remain the largest single ethnic group. In the 2072 Craftian census, the most commonly nominated ancestries were:
 * English (22.6%)
 * Chinese (22.3%)
 * Japanese (17.0%)
 * Hispanic (9.7%)
 * Indigenous (8.2%)
 * Korean (5.2%)
 * South Asian (3.8%)
 * Indonesian (2.1%)
 * Vietnamese (1.8%)

Craftia's population has quadrupled in just 40 years, much of this increase from immigration. Most immigrants are skilled, but the immigration quota includes categories for family members and refugees.

The Indigenous population—Reatinese mainlanders and Luminese islanders—was counted at 2,228,832 (8.2% of the total population) in 2072. Indigenous Craftians experience higher than average rates of imprisonment and unemployment, lower levels of education, and life expectancies for males and females that are, respectively, 6 and 7 years lower than those of non-indigenous Craftians.

Human ethnicity and ancestry
In the 2072 census, humans could nominate up to two choices for family ancestry.

By state
Addams and Wintaro are the only states with European pluralities; Wintaro is the only state with a European majority. All other states and territories except Jagsland have Asian majorities. In Jagsland, no pan-ethnic group has a majority.

Language
The official languages of Craftia, as mandated by the Constitution, are English, Standard Chinese (Mandarin) and Japanese, though English is the de facto lingua franca and is the most prominent language in daily life, unofficially prevailing over Chinese and Japanese. English is the only compulsory language (and by extension, course) required for study for the completion of the Higher School Certificate, while either Chinese or Japanese must be studied as a compulsory elective course from Years 7 through 9. The Craftian Constitution was originally written only in English, but has since been rewritten in Chinese and Japanese, and all three languages may be used in courts.

The first official languages were Mandarin and Japanese (used interchangeably by the early Asian settlers), with the earliest reports stating they became official in the 15th century. When the colonies federated into the Kingdom of Craftia in 1805, English became the country's sole official language, to be used as an official bridging language (lingua franca) between the various Asian and European colonies as well as the Reatinese monarchy.

Craftian English is a major variety of the language with a distinctive accent and lexicon, and differs slightly from other varieties of English in grammar and spelling. General Craftian serves as the standard dialect.

According to the 2072 census, English is the main language spoken in the home for close to 47.3% of the population. The next most common languages spoken at home are Mandarin (18.3%), Japanese (12.5%), Spanish (8.4%) and Korean (3.5%). A considerable proportion of first- and second-generation migrants are bilingual. Approximately 62.4% of the total Craftian population is fluently bilingual in some form (usually English and a native tongue).

Statistics
As of 2072, although trilingualism is federally mandated, approximately only 70-80% of written language (e.g. signage) is bilingual (English and Mandarin), and approximately only 50-60% of written language is trilingual (English, Mandarin and Japanese). The graph below shows the percentage of various languages spoken at home, according to the 2072 census.

The graph below shows the ten most-fluent languages in Craftia, according to the 2072 census.

Religion
Craftia has no state religion, as the Craftian Constitution prohibits the federal government from establishing a state religion, impose any religious practices, or prohibit the free exercise or observance of any religion. The graph below shows the percentage of various religions, according to the 2072 census.

In the 2072 census, 24.1% of Craftians were counted as Christian, including 14.3% as Protestant (mostly Anglican) and 9.8% as Roman Catholic; 46.8% of the population reported having "no religion"; 29.1% identify with non-Christian religions, the largest of these being Buddhism (12.6%), followed by Shinto (5.8%), Islam (4.7%), Hinduism (2.6%) and Judaism (1.5%).

For much of Craftian history, Christianity was the predominant religion, singlehandedly counting for upwards of 80% of the population. However, multicultural immigration has contributed to a decline in its relative position (especially Roman Catholicism), and various Protestant denominations have benefitted from recent immigration to become the largest religious group. Similarly, Buddhism, Islam, Shinto and Judaism have all grown in Craftia over the past century. While Christianity remains the single largest religion, throughout the 21st century, those who reported no religion grew rapidly to become the largest group by the 2020 census. Non-religious people now account for 46.8% of the Craftian population.

Craftia has one of the lowest levels of religious adherence in the world. In 2072, only 7.7% of Craftians attended a place of worship on a weekly basis.

States and territories
Craftia has nine states: Jebsten (JS), Addams (AD), Meyang (MY), Berhardsson (BE), Jagsland (JL), Wintaro (WT), Western Craftia (WC), Kagstron (KT) and Lumina (LM), one internal territory: Bankera Capital Territory (BCT), and one external territory: Craftian Island Territories (CIT). Each state and territory has its own parliament, government and constitution.

Roads
Craftia's major roads (including motorways and some highways) are built, owned and maintained by the NRMA. Local governments are in charge of all other roads which in some cases lead to a slightly tangled network. This has been noted by the federal government, though no plans have been made to 'untangle' the system.

Public transport
Public transport has only recently been widely used - this is due to increasing congestion on roads and new transport infrastructure.

Public transport networks
Most major cities in Craftia have public transport networks. Bankera, Grumbroe and Pallsburg are the only Craftian capital cities without multi-modal networks (though more networks are under construction). The vast majority of smaller cities and towns in Craftia rely entirely on buses.

In the table below, green indicates a fully operational mode or system, while yellow denotes a partially operational mode or a mode under construction/planning. Grey indicates a lack of that particular mode.

Education in Craftia
Education in Craftia is provided by the Federal Government, with a national curriculum that is followed the the schooling system. The school system comprises of the first two tiers of the education system, with the third tier being higher education. See Education in Craftia for more info.