Byzantine Empire (Basileia Rhomaion 2014)

The Roman Empire (Βασιλεία Ῥωμαίων) or Romania ( Ῥωμανία) , more commonly known as the  Byzantine Empire  or simply  Byzantium is a country situated in Southern Europe. It has a population of approximately 23 million, 9 million of which live in the capital and largest city of Constantinople. Byzantium borders Albania, Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north and it shares a very close maritime border with Turkey.

Geographically, the country consists of mainland Greece, spanning from the Peloponnese to the capital, and numerous islands in the Mediterranean, such as Cyprus, Crete, Rhodes, Corfu, Naxos, Lesbos and many others (the count is estimated to be about 1,400). The highest point is Mount Olympus, 2,918 meters tall.

Byzantium is a democratic, highly developed country with an advanced economy. It is one of the major regional powers in the Mediterranean. It is a member of the UN, EU (but it didn't adopt the euro, similarly to the UK, Denmark or Sweden), NATO, Council of Europe, OECD, WTO and other international organizations.

Name
While its official name is the Roman Empire, the Empire is mostly referred to as Byzantium by foreigners. Most citizens of the country itself use the term Romania. Other, more rare terms also exist, such as the Greek Empire. Sometimes the country is referred to simply as Greece.

History
(To be completed)

Geography
Byzantium is composed of the mainland and several clusters of islands. They are traditionally grouped into these clusters: the Saronic islands, the Cyclades, the North Aegean islands, the Dodecanese, the Sporades, the Ionian islands and Cyprus. Together the number of island is estimated to be between 1,200 and 6,000. Over 220 islands are inhabited.

Over 80% of the land area is covered in mountains - including the highest one, Mount Olympus at 2,918 meters above sea level.

The country has a Mediterranean climate, mostly featuring short, mild and wet winters and long, hot and dry summers. In the mountains however, the climate is harsher than on the coast.

Politics
Basileia Rhomaion is a parliamentary constitutional monarchy with the Emperor as head of state. Until the 18th century, the rules for succession to the throne were not exactly formulated and the Emperor usually selected his successor himself. The rules formulated in 1738 established a male primogeniture. Absolute primogeniture was adopted in 2003.

The current Emperor is Konstantinos XVIII (b. 1939) who ascended to the throne in 1981. His official title is "Konstantinos in Christ, Emperor (Basileus) of the Romans." The title "autokrator" (self-ruler) was abandoned after contitutional monarchy was established in 1835. The title "Emperor of the Greeks" is also sometimes used, albeit it isn't official.

The Emperor holds some executive powers, for example he appoints certain officials, he may grant pardons, orders and decorations. He also has the right to attend Senate meeting when he wishes to and he may also speak in the Senate and voice his opinions.

The Byzantine Emperor is one of the few monarchs in the world who are properly crowned. Most other monarchies opted for a simple inauguration, but in Byzantium, the Emperor is crowned by the Patriarch of Constantinople in Hagia Sofia.

The Senate is the unicameral legislative branch of the state. Senate elections are held every four years. A goverment, which is led by the Prime Minister, who holds most of the executive power in the state, needs a majority of votes in the Senate to be able to function. The Senate has 200 members. Historically, the Senate's real power decline over the centuries following its creation and by the 13th century, it effectively ceased to exist. It was revived in 1592 as an advisory body to the Emperor with its members appointed by the Basileus. After the establishment of a constitutional monarchy in 1835, the senators are elected by the people.

(TO BE COMPLETED)