| |||||||
| Anthem | "Sachsen Hymne" | ||||||
| Capital (and largest city) |
Hamburg | ||||||
| Other cities | Köln, Frankfurt, Bremen, Leipzig | ||||||
| Language official |
Saxon | ||||||
| others | Frankish, Frisian, High German | ||||||
| Religion | Islam, Christianity | ||||||
| Demonym | Saxon | ||||||
| Government | Constitutional monarchy | ||||||
| Legislature | Reichstag | ||||||
| King | Ernst August V | ||||||
| Prime Minister | Stephan Weil | ||||||
| Population | 42,417,188 | ||||||
| Established | c. 804 | ||||||
| Independence | from Holy Roman Empire | ||||||
| declared | 1962 | ||||||
| Currency | Thaler | ||||||
The Kingdom of Saxony (Saxon: Königriek Sassen, High German: Königreich Sachsen, Frankish: Koninkrijk Saksen, Frisian: Keninkryk Sakse) is a sovereign state in west-central Europe, bordering Belgium, Holland, Friesland, Denmark, Brandenburg, Bohemia, Bavaria, Swabia and Lyonesse. A former member of the Holy Roman Empire, it expanded rapidly at the expense of smaller states during the empire's last centuries, and now includes the majority of the central Germanic-speaking lands. It fought alongside Albion and Romania in all three world wars, though during both the First and Third World Wars it was occupied for a time by its enemies and forced to accept an armistice.
Language[]
The Saxon language, which is spoken as a first language by the majority of the population, is a West Germanic language whose ancestral form was closely related to English, Lloegrian and Frisian. However, during Saxony's time as part of the Holy Roman Empire, it became heavily influenced by High German, and it's now unclear whether Saxon should be treated as a separate language or as a dialect of High German.
Frankish, another West Germanic language, is common in western parts of the country, as well as in Belgium and Holland. Frisian, which is still partially mutually intelligible with Lloegrian and English, is spoken along parts of the northwest coast, and High German is commonly spoken by all levels of society as a language of education and the media.
Religion[]
Religiously, Saxony is split under largely geographic lines, with the north being predominantly Catholic Christian and the south mainly Islamic. In the past this has caused tension and inter-communal conflict, though there have been no major religious wars since the Forty Years' War of the 16th century.
Over the last two centuries the split has lessened considerably, thanks to increased migration within the country and the mixing of communities. The Unified Church of Saxony, a state-sponsored religious body first set up in 1861 to bridge the divide, has seen great success over the past decades and counts members from both traditions among its ranks. It makes no claims about theology or doctrine, only requires that its members worship God in whatever way seems best to them and live in harmony with the world and their fellow human beings.