Norse Kingdom (Battle of Belusium)

The Norse Kingdom, also called the Kingdom of the Norse or simply Norway, is a state located in the northern most regions of Europe. It is the second-most prominent power in Europe, after the Roman Republic.

Scandinavia
Arguably the largest peninsula in Europe, the Scandinavian Peninsula is approximately 1850 km (1150 mi) long with a width varying approximately from 370 to 805 km (230 to 500 mi). The Scandinavian mountain range generally defines the border between Norway and Sweden. The peninsula is bordered by several bodies of water including:

The climate across Scandinavia varies from tundra ( Köppen: ET) and subarctic (Dfc) in the north, with cool marine west coast climate (Cfc) in northwestern coastal areas reaching just north of  Lofoten, to humid continental (Dfb) in the central portion, and marine west coast (Cfb) in the south and southwest.  The region is rich in timber, iron and copper with the best farmland in southern Sweden. Large petroleum and natural gas deposits have been found off Norway's coast in the North Sea and the Atlantic Ocean.
 * the Baltic Sea (including the Gulf of Bothnia) to the east, with the autonomous Åland islands between Sweden and Finland, and Gotland.
 * the North Sea (including the Kattegat and Skagerrak) to the west and southwest.
 * the Norwegian Sea to the west.
 * the Barents Sea to the north.

Britannia
There are about   136 permanently inhabited islands  in the group, the largest two being Great Britain and Ireland. Great Britain is to the east and covers 83,700 sq mi (217,000 sq km ).   Ireland is to the west and covers 32,590 sq mi (84,400 sq km ).   <span style="color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">The largest of the other islands are to be found in the <span style="color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">  Hebrides<span style="color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">, <span style="color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">  Orkney<span style="color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">  <span style="color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">and <span style="color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">  Shetland <span style="color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">to the north, <span style="color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">  Anglesey<span style="color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">  <span style="color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">and the Isle of Man between Great Britain and Ireland, and the <span style="color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">  Channel Islands<span style="color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">  <span style="color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">near the coast of France.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">The islands are at relatively low altitudes, with central Ireland and southern Great Britain particularly low lying: the lowest point in the islands is Holme, Cambridgeshire at −2.75 m (−9.02 ft). The Scottish Highlands in the northern part of Great Britain are mountainous, with Ben Nevis being the highest point on the islands at 1,343 m (4,406 ft). Other mountainous areas include Wales and parts of Ireland, however only seven peaks in these areas reach above 1000 m (3281 ft). Lakes on the islands are generally not large, although Lough Neagh in Northern Ireland is an exception, covering 150 sq mi (390 sq km). The largest freshwater body in Great Britain (by area) is Loch Lomond at 27.5 sq mi (71 sq km), and Loch Ness, by volume whilst Loch Morar is the deepest freshwater body in the British Isles, with a maximum depth of 310 m (1017 ft). There are a number of major rivers within the British Isles. The longest is the Shannon in Ireland at 224 mi (360 km). The river Severn at 220 mi (354 km is the longest in Great Britain. The isles have a temperate marine climate. The North Atlantic Drift ("Gulf Stream") which flows from the Gulf of Mexico brings with it significant moisture and raises temperatures 11 °C (20 °F) above the global average for the islands' latitudes. Winters are cool and wet, with summers mild and also wet. Most Atlantic depressions pass to the north of the islands, combined with the general westerly circulation and interactions with the landmass, this imposes an east-west variation in climate.

Vinland
<p style="margin-top:0.5em;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">Since the end of the last glacial period, Vinland has consisted of eight distinct forest regions, including extensive boreal forest. Vinland has around 31,700 large lakes, more than any other country, containing much of the world's fresh water. There are also fresh-water glaciers in the Vinland Mountains and the Coast Mountains. Canada is geologically active, having many earthquakes and potentially active volcanoes. The volcanic eruption of the Tseax Cone in 1775 was among Viland's worst natural disasters, killing 2000 Nisga'a people. The eruption produced a 22.5 km (14.0 mi) lava flow, and, according to Nisga'a legend, blocked the flow of the Nass River..

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">Average winter and summer high temperatures vary from region to region. Winters can be harsh in many parts of the country, particularly in the interior and Prairie provinces, which experience a continental climate, where daily average temperatures are near −15 °C (5 °F), but can drop below −40 °C (−40 °F) with severe wind chills. In non-coastal regions, snow can cover the ground for almost six months of the year, while in parts of the north snow can persist year-round. Coastal British Columbia has a temperate climate, with a mild and rainy winter. On the east and west coasts, average high temperatures are generally in the low 20s °C (70s °F), while between the coasts, the average summer high temperature ranges from 25 to 30 °C (77 to 86 °F), with temperatures in some interior locations occasionally exceeding 40 °C (104 °F).

Population
The most recent census, places the Kingdom's current population, including its colonies, at 390,685,742 people. While the majority of the population is Caucasian, there exist multiple ethnic tribal groups. There are native Icelandic, Britannian, and Scandinavian people within the kingdom, with native tribes people in the Canadian colonies. There is also a Sami population, in the Far North, and Kven people in the Lower North.

Due to the limited urbanization of the region, as a result of the terrain, most Norse people live in the concentrated pockets in Norse 1st Divisions. In the expanded Kingdom, such as Britannia and North America, the population is more evenly distributed

Language
The most common language spoken in the Kingdom is Norwegian. There exists different forms of dialect throughout the 1st Division, which can vary from region to region.

Other languages are spoken more widely in the Kingdom. Most other languages in the peninsula are still spoken, due to the less distributed population. Norwegian is must more widely spoken around the colonies.

Religion
The majority of Norse people are practitioners of Norse paganism. After an attempted persecution of Christians that nearly lead to a civil war, the Althing guaranteed freedom of religion. The Norse religions has adherents all throughout the kingdom, including among the natives in the colonies, who find the stories and depictions of powerful gods impressive.

There is a Christian minority in the kingdom, as well as a Jewish minority. In Sami or Kven communities, there are a few native religious adherents.

Government
The Norse Kingdom is a constitutional monarchy. Its constitution was based on the constitution of the Egyptian Empire (a close ally). The king is the head of state, and the commander in chief of the military, and holds executive power. However, his power is curbed by the Althing, an elected Parliament, who dictate the distribution of spending, as well as reserving the right to declare war.

The king maintains the right to manage the Kingdom's foreign relations, and is allowed to make relations between two countries. That said, the Althing is capable of overruling the decision. Should the king die with no proper heirs, the Althing will elect a new king from the previous king's family.

The Althing consists of an elected group of representatives from the divisions of the Kingdom. It is headed by the Prime Minister, who is elected by popular vote in the Althing. Representatives of elected from respective kingdom divisions. To prevent anyone division from gaining too much power, all divisions in the Althing have an equal amount of seats. This can lead to controversy in some of the districts.

Judicial and Law Systems
Laws are formed by the King, but must be approved by the Althing before being put into effect. The Althing is allowed to dictate its own laws as necessary though. There exists the Royal Norse Court, which consists of justices generally appointed by the king. The Court is reserved for crimes of particularly high offense, such as treason or attempted espionage.

Local courts are managed by judges, appointed by regional governors. Trials are relatively simple, consisting of the defendant and prosecution both making their cases, and the judge issuing a verdict. As with the Egyptian system, this can lead to corruption, making the office of the judge routinely investigated by the federal government.

Military
The Norse military is known as the Royal Armed Forces. It possesses an active army, navy and air force. The commander-in-chief is the King. The Norse Kingdom is the only major state in Eurasia where military service is mandatory. However, soldiers are rarely actually deployed, and are kept in reserve for most of the time.

Foreign Relations
One of the IUD's founding members, the Norse Kingdom has active relations with many countries. It has close economic, and military ties with the Egyptian and Chinese Empires. The one country it does not have any diplomatic relations with is the United Islamic Republic, of which it is openly critical of.

Administrative Divisions
The Kingdom is divided into multiple divisions, each managed by a governor appointed by the King. There is Norway, which is the location of its center of government, and described as the 1st Division. The divisions consist of the entire Scandinavian Peninsula, the British Isles, Iceland, the entire Arctic Circle, and most of the Canadian landmass. The divisions are then numbered down.

Economy
The Norse possesses an extensive economy, being one of the wealthiest countries in the world, seconded only by the Egyptian Empire. It has extensive resources, ranging from fish to mineral deposits, most of which are owned by the federal government. The economy is a mix of socialism and capitalism, featuring both free market, and state owned corporations on the larger scale. Since the formation of the UIR, and the loss of many oil reservations, Norway became one of the most prominent oil exporters in the world, further increasing its wealth.

This combination of natural resources, leads to a great variety of power sources, ranging from hydro-power, to natural gas. As a result, it does not possess nuclear power.

Transportation
The Norse Kingdom possesses a vast variety of transportation methods. Due to the widely spread population, transportation is, in many respects, critical to Norse society and development. This allows groups that would otherwise be isolated to have easy contact with the rest of the Kingdom.

The Norse railroads span the entire peninsula, and in Britannia, cover the whole of the isles. Airline travel is not as common as it may be in other nations, having failed to make an impression due to the popularity of travel by ship.