Heiban
Empire of Heiban | |
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 Flag
 Seal
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Motto: 自𡗉, 阻城𪜀𠬠 Từ nhiều, trở thành là một "Formed from many, now as one" | |
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Anthem: 遶𨀈蹎𧵑祖先眾些 Theo bước chân của tổ tiên chúng ta "In ancestral footsteps we tread." | |
 Location of Heiban (dark green) – in Anterra (green & grey) | |
| Capital and largest city | Sa Hoa |
| Official languages |
Heibanese Ramayan |
| Ethnic groups |
76% - Sinh 13% - Mixed 6.7% - Ramayan 4.3% - Zhou |
| Religion | Mẹ giáo |
| Demonym | Heibanese |
| Government | Unitary constitutional monarchy |
• Empress | Lý Chiêu |
• Prime Minister | Hoàng Lành Mỹ |
| Legislature | National Parliament |
| Area | |
• Total | 929,097 km2 (358,726 sq mi) |
• Water (%) | 0.11 |
| Population | |
• 2023 estimate | 101,056,763 |
• 2020 census |
 98,785,334 |
• Density | 108.7/km2 (281.5/sq mi) |
| GDP (PPP) | 2022 estimate |
• Total |
$2.8 trillion |
• Per capita | $28,520 |
| GDP (nominal) | 2022 estimate |
• Total |
$2.7 trillion |
• Per capita | $26,730 |
| Gini (2022) |
 34.2medium |
| HDI (2022) |
0.883 very high |
| Currency | Heibanese sen ($) (HBS) |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (West Kesh Time, WKT) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC+3 (Heibanese Summer Time, HST) |
| Date format | yyyy.mm.dd (CE) |
| Driving side | left |
| Calling code | +770 |
| Internet TLD | .hb |
Heiban (Heibanese: 𠄩班), officially the Empire of Heiban, is a country in southern Kesh bordered to the north by the Nzambeyan state of Verissi, to the south by Ramay across the Hải Ðăng Strait, and bounded to the west by the Iapetus Ocean, and the South Kesh Bay to the east. Heiban expands over a total land area of 929,097 square kilometres (358,726 sq mi) and has a population of over 101 million. The capital and largest city in the country is Sa Hoa.
The Heibanese peninsula has been inhabited since as early as the Paleolithic Age by Austroasiatic peoples. The oldest records of modern Heibanese civilization date back to the 2nd millennium BCE, centred around the peninsula's northeastern plains, in the present-day provinces of Lối Ði and Cầu Vồng. This initial matriarchal civilization, and the people that formed it, are known as the Sinh people, who existed in isolation as a single community well into the 1st millennium BCE. The Sinh began to expand across the peninsula sometime around the year 1500 BCE, and by 1100 BCE the territory that today encompasses Heiban had been settled in its entirety, and the newly formed communities began to deviate from one another in an event known as the First Divergence.
At the start of the 10th century BCE, the territory of present-day Heiban found itself divided into eleven early matriarchal chiefdoms. The largest of these were the Sinh and Nồm chiefdoms, which encompassed the entire northern half of the territory and much of the eastern and western coasts respectively. Throughout the remainder of the century the Heibanese territory became a battle ground between the different communities until the start of the 9th century BCE with the unification of all communities under the Sài dynasty of the Sinh-ruled Matriarchy of Cửa Hoà. The Matriarchy existed until the end of the 1st century CE before the Second Divergence in the year 113.
During the Second Divergence, there was an attempt to overthrow the, at the time ruling, Mã dynasty from three different sides, resulting in a territorial partition between all three, each ruled by a different dynasty: the Mạnh, the Ông, and the Hác. Each territory existed as an independent state until the start of the 4th century, when the Trịnh dynasty overthrew all three by the year 407 CE, and unified all territories under the First Empire of Heiban. The Empire was ruled under the Trịnh until the late 6th century, when it was overthrown by the Vương dynasty in 677 CE. It was under Vương rulership that the Empire first came in contact with Imperial Kodeshia in the 11th century.
In 1015, Heiban signed a mutual trade agreement with the Empire of Kodeshia known as the TBD Accord. As part of the Accord, Heiban agreed to help Kodeshia spread their influence within the South Kesh Bay by allowing Kodeshi ships to be stationed in and make free use of Heibanese ports on the peninsula's eastern side. Heibanese-Kodeshi relationships were considered peaceful and mutually beneficial for nearly two centuries, however, the increasing favorable Kodeshi presence weakened the influence of the ruling Vương until 1234 when it was challenged and overthrown by the Lý dynasty. Despite of this, Lý rule was short-lived, as the Chou dynasty fell in Imperial Kodeshia in favor of the Zhou dynasty in the year 1237. With a much more abrasive approach to the southern Kesh region than its predecessor, the Zhou-ruled Empire of Kodeshia began to take more liberties with the pre-established Heibanese permissions, eventually replacing all Sinh leaders in Heiban with Zhou vassals.
As a vassal state, the nation's name was changed to Gangyou (Guoyu: 港右, gǎngyòu), and the native Sinh language was replaced by Guoyu. Zhou rule in the peninsula stayed unfazed and unchallenged for three centuries before the fall of the Zhou dynasty in mainland Kodeshia in 1531. The vassal stationed in Gangyou during this time, a loyal member of the Zhou family, refusing to hand over power to the new Liang dynasty, taking advantage of the weakened Kodeshi naval forces and the ongoing revolution in Qingcheng, declared the country independent on 31 October 1531 under the name of Zhouguo (周国; zhōuguó). The state of Zhouguo was dissolved in January of 1608 as consequence of the Sinh Revolution. In March of that same year, the position of head of state was given back to the descendants of the Lý dynasty, establishing the current Second Empire of Heiban. The Lý dynasty willingly abolished the status of absolute monarchy on 8 March 1812, establishing the Constitution of Heiban and creating a separate position for a head of government.
Today, Heiban is a developed country and economy, with a GDP by Purchase Power Parity (PPP) of $2.8 trillion, making it the largest economy in southern Kesh, and one of the largest in the continent. Over the last two centuries, Heiban underwent rapid development in matter of human rights, education, environmental initiatives, as well as rapid infrastructural and technological advancement, playing a leading role in the infrastructure, engineering, and medical industries in the region. Heiban has a "very high" Human Development Index (HDI), and a high GDP per capita.
Etymology
The name "Heiban" is a standardized version of the native Heibanese name Hai Ban (/hɛiːbɑːn/; hey-BAN; Heibanese: 𠄩班), meaning "bestowed by Heaven" or "mandate of Heaven". Origins of this name date back to the 4th century, with the Unification of Heiban under the Trịnh dynasty. This name was given to the newly formed state as part of the attempt from the Trịnh dynasty to spread the ideological belief that all Sinh people (an umbrella term referring collectively to all the different people groups with origin in the Heibanese peninsula) were to exist together under a single entity led by the Trịnh rulers, as was commanded by the Mother Goddesses of the native religion. Despite the overthrowing of the Trịnh dynasty in the year 677 BCE at the hands of the Vương dynasty, the latter opted to keep the name to spread a similar message but applied to their own rulers.
The name Heiban eventually fell out of use during Zhou occupation of the territory and the state was renamed first to Gǎngyòu (港右; meaning "west harbor") between 1237 and 1531, and later to Zhōuguó (周国; meaning "Zhou country") between 1531 and 1608, both of which were of Guoyu origin. Heiban as a name was readopted in 1608 with the overthrowing of the ethnically Zhou government, and its replacement for a native Sinh monarchy. The name was chosen as a nod to the original meaning, alluring to how the Sinh people were to exist under a single entity led by ethnically Sinh people.
History
Prehistory
Appearance of homo sapiens in the Heibanese peninsula dates as far back as the Middle Paleolithic, nearly 300,000 years ago. The earliest form of archeological evidence of these early modern humans was discovered in a site near the city of Sa Hoa, by the shores of the Lào Mau river. Though unclear as to their initial origin point within the peninsula, it is estimated that by 250,000 years ago, homo sapiens had spread to virtually every part of the modern Heibanese territory, with remains dating to this time period found scattered across the country's modern territory. Cultures first began during the Upper Paleolithic, with the oldest of these being the Ðường Vàng cultures of northern Heiban, at the foot of the Vàng Ðỉnh Mountains, from c. 45,000-40,000 years ago. It was also around this time and location that the oldest rock paintings can be traced back to, found in the Bước Núi province.
During the Last Glacial Maximum, around 27,000 years ago, the Heibanese shores became much more populated as the central plains turned drier and less convenient for habitation, in a similar fashion to Last Glacial Maximum refugia. The Ðảo Nam Bay in particular received an influx of people as the lowering in sea levels allowed for better vegetation. Toward the period of deglaciation of the planet, and the commence of rise in mean global temperature, humans started to move back further inland as sea levels began to rise once again displacing all of them from areas now found under water. This resulted in large-scale settling of present-day coastal regions around the Ðảo Nam Bay that continued to have better suited land for gathering. Hunting groups made their way further inland as the mean global temperature continued to rise.
Early settlements
Over time, the lands around the Lào Mau river and its tributaries became widely settled with the rise of agriculture and the transition of early Heibanese communities into a sedentary lifestyle. Though certain smaller communities continued to maintain a nomadic way of life, they'd eventually settle somewhere around the various lakes in the country, in particular those around Lake Bao Giá in the western side of the peninsula. As these early civilizations became more dependent of the rivers and bodies of water in the interior of the country for agricultural purposes, fishing was adopted as an integral aspect of their way of life. Early Heibanese communities adopted a form of "riverine culture", where most of their development occurred surrounding their lives by the shores of the rivers. Rafts became the very first mode of transport in the territory, as people used the water currents to travel downstream and reach different communities also living along the rivers. Bridges appeared sometime around the mid-13th century BCE, created by pieces of log prompted upright in a straight line across the river.
By the start of the 12th century BCE, these people could be found all across the peninsula, and had become an ethnolinguistic group different enough from the other civilizations present in the region. The Sinh people, the name that the ethnic group would go on to adopt over time, entered a period of rapid territorial expansion and quick settling of land, before reaching their first significant point of divergence with the start of the 11th century BCE.
First divergence
The Sinh divergence constitutes two separate periods of Heibanese history characterized for sharing similar conditions, but dissimilar leading circumstances. The first Sinh divergence occurred during the early 11th century BCE, sometime between the years 1100 and 1090 BCE. It was the consequence of a period of rapid territorial expansion of the Sinh people native to the Heibanese peninsula, which resulted in different leadership being adopted across the region, and sometimes difficulty in communication between the various people groups under the same rule. A result of this divergence was the formation of the Nồm people as distinct from the Sinh people. The Nồm, despite speaking the same language as the Sinh, inhabited the western shores of the South Kesh Bay, and had much closer ties to the people of [Plot 206] and Cagayan. This resulted in a greater distancing between them and the rest of the Heibanese people groups at the time, whose main influence were the Sinh.
As time went on, the Nồm gained greater independence from the Sinh people of western Heiban and began to establish larger systems of government that unified their various settlements across the peninsula's eastern coast. By the late 11th century BCE, the Nồm and the Sinh had grown significantly distinct, as the Nồm continued to build stronger ties with the Austronesian people of southern Kesh.
Geography
Heiban is a country situated in the southern hemisphere, within the Heibanese peninsula, occupying it almost in its entirety, and some of its offshore islands, in the southwestern region of Kesh. It is bordered to the northwest by the Nzambeyan state of Verissi, and has a total land area of 929,097 square kilometres (358,726 sq mi) and lies between latitudes 7° and 20° South. It has a 3,935-kilometre (2,445-mile) coastline along the South Kesh Bay and the Iapetus Ocean, by which the peninsula is bounded to the east and west, respectively, and it's home to more than a hundred islands and islets off its shore.
The country's landscape is characterised by a low-lying north-central plain that extends from east to west, home to many hills and valleys, and surrounded by uplands to the south and low mountains to the north. On the western end of this plain lies the largest body of water in the country, Lake Bao Giá, and the southern reaches of the West Kesh river basin, one of the largest on the planet. Extending from its central region are transitional plains to the south, thinly forested and rising to elevations of about 600 metres (1900 feet) above sea level. To the north the plain abuts a sandstone escarpment, which forms a southward facing cliff stretching for more than ??? kilometres (??? miles) from west to east, across almost the entire northeastern Heibanese border, and rising abruptly above the plain to heights of 800 to 1,600 meters (2,800-5,200 feet). This cliff demarks most of Heiban's northeastern border and the southern limit of the Vàng Ðỉnh Mountain Range.
Flowing southward from the Vàng Ðỉnh Mountains, through Heiban's plains and southern hills is the Lào Mau River. East and west of the Lào Mau, the transitional plains gradually merge with the southern highlands, a region of forested hills and high plateaus that extend to the countries's southern coastlines, creating a massive valley around the river mouth and extending in a latitudinal fashion northeastward. This valley divides the southern Heibanese highlands into two blocks, the western side presents higher elevations and rougher terrain, giving way to a much more rugged coastline, and resulting in many peninsulas and islets off its shore. Part of the western highlands is Mount Buôn Pha, an eastward facing cliff, with a 770 meter (2,526 ft.) drop into the Iapetus Ocean at its peak. The southwestern highlands are the least populated region of Heiban due to its difficult access, and are home to three Nature Realm Protectorates.
The southeastern highlands are much smaller in comparison, and much easier to cross, with two large cities being located along the highlands' southern side. These have a much more gradual transition into both the central plains and the shores, with their highest peaks being located inland rather than close to the coast. The southeastern seaboard next to the highlands is smooth and devoted of islands. Unlike its western counterpart, this region is much more populated, with some of Heiban's biggest touristic hotspots being found here. Despite its smaller size, the southeastern highlands are the northern extension of the much larger Ramay Mountain Chain, that runs accross southeastern Heiban and the Ramayan islands.
Tay Áo Peninsula Reserve, Bờ Biển province
Lake Bao Giá, Miền Bắc region
Bắc Nửa Valley, Yên Bái province
Empress Yến Mai National Park, Giọt Mưa province
Địa Báu Island, Ðảo Nam province
Farmlands outside Sa Hoa capital district, Hoi Ngãi province
Monsoon fields near Hà Kạn, Từ province
Vàng Ðỉnh Mountains National Park, Bước Núi province
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Climate
Wildlife and conservation
The Sinh civilizations that have inhabited the Heibanese peninsula since before the Common Era have always held beliefs and practices regarding the protection of nature as a foremost priority. According to records found in western Heiban, sometime between the 1st and 2nd centuries CE, the consumption of certain meats was not only frowned upon but also strictly prohibited and punishable with death. This is attributed to the region's native religions that, much like Uyghandism, encouraged vegetarianism.
In the present day, Heiban's environmentally cautious and nature-friendly policies during the last few decades has been applauded by its citizens and activists alike. Almost every political party and coalition in the country has pushed for green policies at the legislature. Some of the environmental milestones of biggest renown in the country include: the creation of the Ministry of Environment, Climate and Biodiversity in 1903, considered a rare sight at the time; the approval of the Đất Mẹ Act in 1925 designed to put in place stricter environmental regulations on the many industries across the country to ensure good air, water, and soil quality, and the non-disturbance of the Heibanese flora and fauna; and the raise in the severity of punishments for environmental crimes, with poachers being charged with up to 50 years in prison, or the death penalty in some cases.
In 2021, Heiban became the first country in the world to address climate change and push for global green policies internationally with the creation of the Yenbai Convention, named after the city of Yenbai, where the agreement was initially drafted and signed. The Convention put forward a goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by the mid-21st century, and encourage its signatory countries to transition from fossil fuel energy to renewable ones, grant better legal protection to all flora and fauna through constitutional reform, and create more protected areas, among many other policies, all of which have been part of Heiban's green agenda since 1970s. The Convention has been signed by 30 countries as of February of 2022.
There are 627 protected areas in Heiban that cover 23% of its territory, or nearly 213,692 km2 (82,506 sq mi). The state is also a self-proclaimed "Ally of Nature", after having passed the Environmental Rights Act in 1991, declaring the protection of wildlife and biodiversity in the country an explicit national priority, and calling for constitutional reform. Today, the Constitution of Heiban recognizes the rights of nature, granting all flora and fauna within Heiban’s borders rights similar to fundamental human rights.
Heiban is a diverse nation, with countless species living in its territory. There are 312 mammal species, 547 bird species, 281 reptile species, 650 freshwater species, and 540 saltwater fish species according to scientists and zoologists, as well as approximately 5,000 identified plant species. Much of the country’s biodiversity is contained near the southern and central regions, and around the many rivers feeding into the Iapetus Ocean and the South Kesh Bay.
Expeditions and tourism
Since the 1930s, the Ministry of Tourism along with the Ministry of Climate, Environment and Biodiversity of Heiban have funded guided expeditions, also known as thăm ngoài (探外), and promoted outdoor tourism in the country's savannas and wetlands. In 1945, the government decided to expand the territorial coverage of several protected areas in order to ensure more availability for expeditions and as a form of preventing environmental offenses, such as poaching or littering, punishable in Heiban with the death penalty or up to 50 years of imprisonment depending on the offense. In 1947, the Ministry of Defense created a new branch of the armed forces, known as the Bureau of Environmental Security, tasked with the protection of protected areas, and patrolling all thăm ngoài expeditions. Since 1960, revenue from expeditions and outdoor tourism have contributed up to nearly 2% of the total GDP (PPP), and have become one of Heiban's largest marketing points for national tourism agencies, airlines, and the hospitality industry.
One of the main focus points for most of these expeditions are the western Heibanese wetlands, covering around 60,000 square kilometres of land area, and expanding across eight provinces, with the city of Quốc Món, the third largest in the country, situated entirely within this region, being the second most visited city in the country after the capital city of Sa Hoa. Common to the western Heibanese wetlands are flamingos, hippopotami, crocodiles, elephants, and cranes, as well as countless types of flora, fish and bird species. At the center of the ecosystem sits Lake Bao Giá, the largest inland body of water in the country, at the shores of which is the city of Hương Cai, the sixth largest in the country, home to 1.3 million people. The city is famous for its intricate shape allowing for several waterfront properties in the residential neighborhoods.
The vast savannas expanding across Heiban's northern half are also attractive to tourists, as they host some of the country's most unique flora and fauna, some of which can only be found in Heiban. Characteristic of this region is the Heibanese gazelle.
Government and politics
Heiban is a unitary constitutional monarchy comprising 51 provinces. The country's head of state is the monarch, who holds the title of either Empress or Emperor of Heiban. The head of government is the prime minister, a 6-year elective position. The Constitution of Heiban (Heibanese: 生㭲; Sinh Gốc) is codified and it divides the government into three branches: an executive, a legislature and a judiciary.
Executive
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The executive power is vested in the Monarch of Heiban as head of state, commander-in-chief of the armed forces, and Protector of the Faith, for life or until abdication. Since the country's transition into a constitutional monarchy in 1812, the Monarch's position has been hereditary under a system of succession by matrilineal primogeniture, meaning the priority of inheritance to the Heibanese Crown is taken by the Monarch's daughters over their sons. The country has had a single male sovereign, Emperor Ngọc Hiển. If the Heir Apparent to the throne does not meet the minimum ruling-age requirement, the next person in line over the age of 21 will be declared crown regent, and serve as substitute monarch in the Heir's place, until the latter comes of age. Though mainly bound by the constitution, the Monarch still holds reserve powers that may be exercised without government's consent.
The head of government is the prime minister, an elective position directly dependant, but not part of, the legislature. The prime minister is the head of Cabinet, and the person in charge of all national political affairs. They are the sole connection between the legislature and the head of state, and all matters discussed by the Cabinet are then presented before the Monarch by the prime minister. Constitutionally, the prime minister has no fixed term, and elections must be called by the head of state. However, by convention, the Monarch will call for elections every 6 years, upon the recommendation of Parliament, and if elections are not called after the 6-year period, that power is then transferred to the legislature, who can remove the prime minister and call for elections following a simple majority vote. Prime ministers can be elected for two consecutive terms, and elected four times in total across their political career.
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After elections, the prime minister will select members for his or her political party to appoint as ministers, all of whom will then form the Heibanese Cabinet. The ministers are the heads of the administrative government offices known as ministries, and each of them, upon appointment, has the responsibility of overseeing and handling specific areas of government and politics, while reporting back to the prime minister. Ministries are assigned a specific annual budget based on how important their contribution to the country is, according to the government of turn, which is then administered and spent according to the ministers, who must report all monthly financial movement to the Royal Treasury.
Aside from the country's prime minister and ministers, the Cabinet of Heiban is formed by the functionaries. These are special positions of government, created to administer all matters pertaining to specific areas of government that lie outside of the ministries' dominion, these are: the general chief, the Matriarch of Heiban, the Chief of the Heibanese Imperial Forces, the Royal Press Secretary, the Mẫu phụ, and the Director of Disaster Prevention and Relief. The Cabinet of Heiban is bound, in composition, to the head of government, with the exception of the functionaries, meaning that after a prime minister's 6-year term the ministers will be replaced in their entirety, unless said prime minister is re-elected for a second term or the newly elected prime minister chooses to maintain certain members to keep their position for an additional 6 years. Ministers can only be appointed two consecutive times and appointed a total of four times.
Legislature
The legislature of Heiban functions under a semi-parliamentary system comprising a unicameral legislative body, or Parliament. The Heibanese Parliament meets at the Palace of Laws (Heibanese: 宮法; Cung Phép), in the capital city of Sa Hoa, and it's formed by the members of parliament (MPs), whose responsibility is to present bills to their peers and create new laws in accordance to the Heibanese Constitution. The legislature shares with the head of state the power of constitutional reform and the dissolution of government, both of which haven't been exercised by the sovereign since the country's transition into a constitutional system. The MPs are the only government officials with the power to impeach the head of government, as well as give permission to Cabinet to declare war on a foreign power.
The lawmaking process in Heiban is divided into two stages and it's run jointly with the executive power: first, a bill is proposed by any member of parliament, political coalition, or citizen, to the chamber, where it must then obtain a positive vote by simple majority, this means, half of all MPs present during the vote, plus one. Once approved, the bill is taken directly to the prime minister, who then has the power to veto or approve said bill. If a bill is approved it becomes a law, and if it's vetoed, the legislature must wait until the start of the next parliamentary session to present it again. Parliamentary sessions, the period during which Parliament will function, begin on March 1st and end on December 15th, however, the prime minister and the monarch may call for emergency sessions during the legislature's resting period, between December 16th and February 28th.
For general elections, the country is divided into 878 municipalities, each electing a single MP, by simple plurality, to represent them at government. Elections in Heiban take place during the month of August and, like the prime minister, MPs have a non-fixed term of 6 years. Although the Monarch will, by convention, respect the 6-year period in-between elections, they still hold the constitutional power to call for general elections whenever, a power not granted to any other government institution or official. Parliamentary elections, unlike elections for prime minister, are compulsory for every citizen over the age of 21, and optional for citizens between ages 18 and 20, as well as those under exceptional circumstances. Members of parliament can run for government a maximum of two consecutive times, and for an indefinite amount of total times. The head of Parliament is the speaker of parliament, who is elected shortly after general elections by their fellow MPs every 3 years.
Judiciary
The judicial branch of the Heibanese government is structured hierarchically. The head of the judiciary is the Supreme Court of Heiban, formed by a body of 6 judges, or Ladies of Justice (Heibanese: 貴婆功理; Quý bà công lý), which is the only position of government in Heiban inaccessible to men per constitutional law. Supreme Court judges are granted life tenure and are directly appointed by the Heibanese monarch. Per tradition, former Ladies of Justice will usually pass their recommendation of fellow colleagues to the monarch to be considerate as candidates. The Supreme Court is situated in the city of Sa Hoa in the Lotus Tribunal Building (Heibanese: 蓮座; Sen Toà), and it's the supreme interpreter and defender of the Heibanese Constitution. As such, the Supreme Court judges can perform constitutional review, either by request or by will of their own, on any and all laws passed by Parliament.
The rest of the judiciary is formed by the Tribunals of Heiban, which can be divided into two sub-groups, and three geographically-based categories (regional, provincial, and municipal). The first of the two sub-groups is formed by the inquiry courts, or courts of first instance, which hear cases in the first instance and comprise one judge per chamber. The second group are the entreaty courts, or appellate courts, which review specific cases' decisions made by the inquiry courts and contested by any party of a first trial, and comprise three judges per chamber. Inquiry courts' judges can summon a jury, formed by 17 randomly selected citizens over the age of 20, to act as a second opinion to that of the judge's. The Supreme Court is categorized as the court of last resort, and the Constitution only grants it jurisdiction for contested decisions made by the entreaty courts, or original jurisdiction in specific situations listed in Section 3, Article 101 of the constitution.
Administrative divisions
The Constitution of Heiban divides the Heibanese territory into various subdivision levels, three administrative: provinces, prefectures, and municipalities, and one non-administrative: regions, or Hoàng (皇), historical subdivisions that only exist for cultural purposes.
The first level of administrative divisions are the provinces of Heiban, of which there are 51. Each provinces is run by a Provincial Committee, a five-people body at the head of which sits a governor. The Governors of Heiban are elected by the citizens of their respective province every 4 years, and after election are tasked with forming the Provincial Committee. Despite not being a federation, the Heibanese government grants all of its provinces some form of autonomy, which gives the provincial governments the ability to administer policies in regards to taxes, education, health, transportation, and environment, as long as they don't contradict federal law. All provinces carry cultural and social importance, as citizens tend to identify with their province of origin, all of which have their own traditions, foods, festivities, and customs.
Each province is subdivided into five prefectures, making up for a total of 255. The prefectures of Heiban serve provincial electoral purposes, and are proportionally sized and located based on population. By law, all prefectures must have at least 50,000 permanent inhabitants within its borders to be considered as such. Like the provinces, prefectures fall under the jurisdiction of the provincial government, however, not all prefectures within the same province have the same policies, as these are oftentimes shaped based on factors such as population, population density, and land area. For elections for Governor, each prefecture has what are known as Lại (吏), which are designated cities or towns where provincial elections take place. Almost every city in the country holds the status of Lại, however, in certain prefectures, there will only be no more than two Lại towns. This is the case of the Ðảo Nam province, entirely made up of islands, where nearly 35% of its population has to mail their voting ballots to their prefectural Lại due to distance.
As a third and last administrative level, each prefecture is divided into municipalities, for a total of 878. The municipalities have purely national electoral purposes, and act as the federal electoral districts. During parliamentary elections, each municipality will vote for a member of Parliament to represent them at the Legislature. The number of municipalities is proportional to the population of each province, with one municipality for every 115,000 citizens, making for a total of 878 seats at the National Parliament as of 2022. It is estimated, according to the national population growth rate, that the number of municipalities won't be in need for change until the year 2060.
The historical regions of Heiban, also known as Hoàng, were the primary national divisions between the 16th and 19th centuries. The region's boundaries were established by the Vũ dynasty, and largely defined by the country's rivers, making up for a total of 10 Hoàng. Each one was ruled by members of the Imperial Family known as Ladies or Vợ (𡞕). The regions were abolished and substituted with the current provinces in 1812, with the adoption of a constitutional monarchy system, however, the title of Vợ remains in use to this day for various members of the Imperial Family, with each of them acting as ceremonial regional heads of state without real political power.
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1. Sa Hoa |
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12. Sự đi Vào |
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23. Thang Cỏ | ||||
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31. Lồng Ngực |
36. Khấu Ðuôi |
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44. Xã Hội |
47. Từ |
Military
The Heibanese Imperial System of Defense (Heibanese: 𠄩班系統房首帝國; Hai Ban Hệ thống Phòng thủ Đế quốc) are the armed forces of Heiban, under the direction of the General Chief of Heiban as supreme commander. Though not exercised, as commander-in-chief of the armed forces, the Monarch of Heiban holds reserve military powers such as the declaration of war (shared with the Cabinet), mobilization of troops, and dismissal of the General Chief. The armed forces consist of the Army, the Navy, the Air Forces, the Cultural Army, and the Imperial Armed Forces.
The Imperial System of Defense has a combined manpower of 725,000 active duty personnel and another 1,228,000 active reserve personnel. The head of the armed forces, as commander-in-chief, is the Monarch of Heiban, however this title has been only nominal for several years. The armed forces are managed by the Ministry of Defense of Heiban, headed by the Minister of Defense, and commanded by the Military Assembly of Heiban, headed by the General Chief. The Heibanese defense budget has increased from $49 billion to $92 billion in 2018, accounting for approximately 3.29% of the country's total GDP (PPP) as of 2022. The increase in military spending has been attributed, by the Ministry of Defense, to the growing presence of the International Collective Organization for Security and Economic Cooperation (ICOSEC) in neighboring Ramay and Cagayan, and of Duvalism as an ideology in the region. In 2004, the Military Assembly declared the Republic of South Kesh a volatile state and increased protection of Heiban's Exlusive Economic Zone (EEZ). As of 2022, Heiban has the largest maritime military presence in the South Kesh Bay.
The Royal Army of Heiban (軍隊皇家; Quân đội hoàng gia) is the land-based branch of the military, and has a total manpower of 590,000 active personnel (duty and reserve). As a subdivision of the Royal Army, the Frontier Forces of Heiban make up one third of the total manpower, and nearly 95% of its personnel is stationed across Heiban's northern border, with the remaining 5% being located along the provincial borders. A small portion of the Royal Army is scattered across all Heibanese islands, with each one having at least 150 personnel present at all times.
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The Royal Navy of Heiban (海軍皇家; Hải quân hoàng gia) is the branch of the armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions. It has a total manpower of 740,000 active personnel (duty and reserve), and at more than half a million people, it's by far the largest branch of the Heibanese military. The Royal Navy has one subdivision in the form of the Coast Guard of Heiban, which makes up two thirds of the Navy's total manpower. As a state surrounded on three sides by water, the Coast Guard's duties are considered among the most important in Heiban, these being: enforcement of the Heibanese EEZ and territorial waters, protection of Heiban's offshore islands, patrolling of the South Kesh Bay and the Iapetus Ocean, and securing of all rivers flowing into Heiban from bordering nations. During peacetime, the remaining one third of the Navy is tasked with the protection of all Heibanese ships, entering and leaving the South Kesh Bay, from piracy, common in the waters surrounding the Ramayan islands.
The Royal Air Forces of Heiban (力量空軍皇家; Lực lượng Không quân Hoàng gia) is the branch of the military that primarily conducts aerial warfare. During wartime it's responsible for gaining control of the air, carrying out strategic and tactical bombing missions, and providing support to land and naval forces often in the form of aerial reconnaissance and close air support. It has a total manpower of 478,000 active personnel (duty and reserve). During peacetime, the Air Forces' tasks are reduced to air policing, ensuring that the air sovereignty of Heiban is enforced by all nations, and air-sea rescue.
The Cultural Army of Heiban (軍隊文化; Quân đội Văn hóa) is the special branch of the military, comprising two subdivisions, tasked with year-round responsibilities specific to Heiban. The Cultural Army has a total manpower of 50,000 active duty personnel. The first of its subdivisions is the Royal Guard of Traditions, whose main task is that of "cultural protectionism", a concept known in Heiban as Sự Chắn (事振). The practice of Sự Chắn isn't that of policing or prohibiting certain traditions, but to ensure that those that partake in them do so correctly and respectfully. For instance, the Royal Guard of Traditions will usually have personnel stationed outside museums, cemeteries, temples, and any other location of cultural significance to Heiban. The second subdivision is the Bureau of Environmental Security, tasked with the responsibility of protecting all natural reserves and large urban green spaces in the country. Originally, the Bureau was part of the Royal Army, and most of its responsibilities were handled by the police forces of Heiban. The Cultural Army was created in 1972, along with the Royal Guard of Traditions as its only subdivision, with the Bureau of Environmental Security being included as a second subdivision in 1975.
The Imperial Armed Forces of Heiban (役務皇家𧵑陛下; Dịch vụ Hoàng gia của Bệ hạ) is the oldest branch of the military, and its main and only objective is safeguarding the Monarch of Heiban and all of the Imperial Family. The Imperial Armed Forces have a total manpower of 95,000 active duty personnel, and unlike the other branches, it's commanded not by the Military Assembly but by the Chief of the Imperial Forces. The Imperial Armed Forces are stationed at all times outside the Garden Palace, the residency of the Imperial Family in Sa Hoa, the residencies of all Imperial Family members outside the Garden Palace, the residency of all Lords and Ladies across the country, as well as all of the Imperial Family's private dwellings. It's also tasked with accompanying and protecting the Monarch, and any member of the Imperial Family, during national or international travel.
As part of its political agenda, the armed forces of Heiban have specific instructions not to intervene in any form of international conflict unless directly commanded by the Monarch, as opposed to the Military Assembly. A special military program in Heiban, known as the Heibanese Cooperative Defense Program, is, when requested, specifically tasked with humanitarian missions abroad, such as escorting war refugees and environmental migrants from certain countries, ensuring security and welfare for refugees fleeing to Heiban, and assisting foreign governments in civilian protection during wartime, and in fights against human rights violations.
Despite having been in peacetime for most of its history, conscription in Heiban has been compulsory since 1945 for all citizens, regardless of gender, between the ages of 18 and 28, for an 18-month period. According to the Ministry of Defense, this is done to ensure the readiness of all citizens in the event of catastrophe or necessary war.
Foreign relations
Foreign relations and diplomatic missions in and from Heiban are administered by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, currently headed by Mã Chí Nam (馬志男). Heiban is home to multiple embassies and grants visa-free access to carriers of most Kesh passports, and has been a member of the Unaligned Nations Consortium since 1998.
Heiban has held formal diplomatic relations with almost all countries in the continent of Kesh since its inception in the 17th century. The country has had a prominent economic presence in the southern Kesh region, with bilateral treaties and trade agreements with all its neighbours. Ties with eastern Kesh circle back to the 11th century when the two regions became further integrated within each other's spheres of influence, in Heiban's case this signified the start of interaction with Kodeshia and eventually Qingcheng. Heiban's largest trading partner is Prabhat, and both countries hold policies to encourage mutual foreign investment and job opportunities to non-citizens.
In the 1980s, following a regional economic crash prompted by the 1981 bauxite shock, the Heibanese, Cagayano, and Prabhati governments founded the Southern Kesh Economic Cooperation Organization (SKECO) in 1986 to help restabilize the region, as well as send humanitarian intervention to neighbouring Democratic Ramay. The following decade, the Heibanese government took an official openly opposing position to the Duvalism as an ideology, and its growing influence in the continent. This strained the country's relations with most countries part of the International Movement for Socialism (IMS) and the International Collective Organization for Security and Economic Cooperation (ICOSEC). The relation between the Heibanese and Cagayano governments in particular became stagnant as both countries had adopted opposite stances, before culminating in the dissolution of SKECO in 1998.
Between 2021 and 2022, Heiban made its largest step toward international cooperation, summoning all countries to the 2021 UNC Climate Change Conference in Yenbai, to draft and promote the signature of the Yenbai Convention. An international treaty and agreement, designed to address climate change mitigation, adaptation and finance. The agreement was signed and ratified by 32 nations in 2022, and it's one of the largest international treaties by signatories, and the only environmental global agreement of such magnitude.
| Country | Status | Notes | Mutual Embassies | Visa Requirement |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Aftarestan
|
Restrained | Yes | Yes | |
 Agrana y Griegro
|
Neutral | Yes | Yes | |
 Airgialla
|
Neutral | Yes | Yes | |
 Akiteiwa
|
Cordial | Yes | Yes | |
 Albel
|
Neutral | Yes | Yes | |
 Alva
|
Cordial | Yes | Yes | |
 Argata
|
Neutral | Yes | Yes | |
 Arroyo-Abeille
|
Neutral | Yes | Yes | |
 Atargistan
|
Restrained | Yes | Yes | |
 Austrasia
|
Neutral | Yes | Yes | |
 Badzevalari
|
Neutral | Yes | Yes | |
 Baileneu Ma
|
Neutral | Yes | Yes | |
 Bakfong
|
Cordial | Yes | Yes | |
 Boaga
|
Neutral | Yes | Yes | |
 Brigantica
|
Neutral | Yes | Yes | |
 Cagayan
|
Friendly | Yes | Yes | |
 Cervera
|
Restrained | Yes | Yes | |
 Chezzetcook
|
Neutral | Yes | Yes | |
| File:HeirarchyFlag1-1.png Cipertine | Neutral | Yes | Yes | |
 Confederate States of Northern Avalonia
|
Neutral | Yes | Yes | |
 Encarnação
|
Neutral | Yes | Yes | |
 Gardarike
|
Neutral | Yes | Yes | |
 Goetia
|
Restrained | Yes | Yes | |
| File:HelinikanflagMK4-3.png Helinika | Neutral | Yes | Yes | |
 Jungastia
|
Cordial | Yes | Yes | |
 Kaya
|
Neutral | Yes | Yes | |
 Kitoko
|
Neutral | Yes | Yes | |
 Kodeshia
|
Cordial | Yes | Yes | |
 Mero-Curgovina
|
Neutral | Yes | Yes | |
| File:Mespaliaflag.png Mespalia | Neutral | Yes | Yes | |
| File:Lonk darket.png Modrovia | Neutral | Yes | Yes | |
 Mursland
|
Neutral | Yes | Yes | |
 Nasiria
|
Neutral | Yes | Yes | |
 New Valentina
|
Neutral | Yes | Yes | |
 Ostboland
|
Neutral | Yes | Yes | |
 Paseiwa
|
Cordial | Yes | Yes | |
 Prabhat
|
Friendly | Yes | No | |
| File:Propyflagfinal.png Propyrgia | Neutral | Yes | Yes | |
 Qingcheng
|
Friendly | Yes | Yes | |
 Ramay
|
Hostile | Yes | Yes | |
 Ringerike
|
Neutral | Yes | Yes | |
 Samotkhe
|
Neutral | Yes | Yes | |
 Santa Magdalena
|
Neutral | Yes | Yes | |
 South Kesh
|
Cordial | Yes | Yes | |
 Svenskt
|
Neutral | Yes | Yes | |
 Tavaluda
|
Neutral | Yes | Yes | |
 Theyka
|
Neutral | Yes | Yes | |
 Thuyiquakliq
|
Neutral | No | Yes | |
 Tilenno
|
Neutral | Yes | Yes | |
 Tiperyn
|
Neutral | Yes | Yes | |
 URSA
|
Restrained | Yes | Yes | |
 Veikaia
|
Neutral | Yes | Yes | |
 Vrtgora
|
Neutral | Yes | Yes | |
 Yeosan Islands
|
Neutral | Yes | Yes | |
 Zahava
|
Neutral | Yes | Yes |
Economy
Since the start of the 21st century, Heiban has been considered the most advanced country in southern Kesh in economic and industrial development. Benefiting from rich natural resources, a highly literate population, a diversified industrial base, and an export-oriented agricultural sector, the economy of Heiban is the largest in the region. As of 2022, Heiban has a GDP by Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) of $2.8 trillion, the largest in southern Kesh, and the 6th largest in the continent, with a GDP per capita of $28,520.
Heiban is a developed country with a free-market and high-income economy. From the mid-1920s to the late 1970s, Heiban's economy was one of the continent's fastest-growing, alongside South Kesh. During the Lost Decade in the 1980s, the region was catapulted into a significant economic recession. Heiban suffered significant setbacks during the Lost Decade, as economic growth fell by 3.4% in the second half of 1981 when compared to the previous half, marking the first negative semestral growth in 15 years, with the year-on-year semestral growth continuing to be negative into 1983. Most sectors of the economy reported declines, with manufacturing dropping 27.2% by January of 1984, and consumer goods sales dropping 4.6%. Exports in medical and research technology and heavy industry, two critical pillars of the Heibanese economy, shrank 53.9% and 49.1% respectively, while exports overall fell by a record 38.3% in January, and 19.3% in February of 1984.
Despite the recession caused by the Lost Decade, the Heibanese economy, helped by timely stimulus measures and strong domestic consumption of products that compensated for a drop in exports, was able to avoid a recession unlike the rest of the southern Kesh economies, posting for a positive economic growth for two consecutive years of the crisis. In 1985, Heiban made a strong economic rebound with a growth rate of 7.3%, signaling a return of the economy to pre-crisis levels. Heiban's exports recorded $531 billion in the first 11 months of 1985, already higher than its exports in the whole year of 1983. The Heibanese economy witnessed a growth in the remainder of the 20th century from 4.1% to 5.3% annually between 1986 and 2000.
Agriculture
Heiban is one of the largest producers of rice in the world (due to the large domestic consumption of rice), and one of the largest exporters of soybeans, shrimp, coconut oil, cacao, and tea in the world. Other large agricultural industries in Heiban include those dedicated to the production of coffee beans, lemon, and tomatoes. Heiban has been a major producer and exporter of tea and coffee beans since before the 1900s, however, with the worldwide rise in rice consumption, the production focus has shifted over the last centuries, making it the dominant crop in the country. Between 1996 and 2001, shrimp exports decrease as the Heibanese government continued to set harder measures on hunting and fishing. In 2002 the government lifted bans on fisheries, and the country regained its position as one of the largest exporters of shrimp in the world.
Livestock in Heiban is almost entirely imported, with the exception of aforementioned fishery products. This is due to cultural and religious reasons tied with vegetarian practices, as well as the national environmental policy, making it virtually impossible for meat industries to sustain production that aligns with the country's laws. In 1999, about 30 foreign livestock industries left the country due to low consumption among the general population and the numerous economic and political barriers set by the government.
Industry
Heiban has one of the most valuable industries in the continent as of 2020, based on the total value of production ($72.3 billion). In 2022, Heiban was one of the largest producers and exporters of raw materials such as coltan, manganese, bauxite, mica, and gold, and the country with some of the largest industries producers of heavy machinery, telecommunication parts, medical equipment, and chemicals.
In 2020, manufacturing accounted for 23.1% of the GDP, the largest sector in the nation's economy. During the late 1990s and early 2000s, half of the industrial exports had rural origin, well-integrated into Heibanese agriculture. With a production growth rate of 16.3%, the diversified manufacturing sector quickly expanded to motor vehicles and auto parts; chemicals and pharmaceuticals; steel, aluminum and iron; industrial and farm machinery; glass and cement; and textiles and leather. In addition, Heiban has since long been one of the top producers and exporters of honey in the world.
Tỉnh Hậu is Heiban's major industrial center, hosting metalworking, motor vehicle, and auto parts manufactures. Next in importance are the Sa Hoa Metropolitan area (food processing, metallurgy, motor vehicles and auto parts); Yenbai (chemicals and petrochemicals, consumer durables, textiles and printing); Nhất Trạm (steel milling and metallurgy); and Nần Lương (oil refining). Other manufacturing enterprises are located in the provinces of Tây Cung (copper smelting, and flour milling); Lồng Ngực (honey and fruit processing); Bước Núi (oil refining).
Tourism
Heiban had 6.8 million visitors in 2020, ranking it in terms of the international tourist arrivals as one of the top destinations in southern Kesh, and one of the top tourist destinations in Kesh. Revenues from international tourists reached $7.74 billion in 2022, and increase from $7.31 billion in 2021. The country's capital city, Sa Hoa is the city to receive the most tourist arrivals in the region, while the coastal city of Tải Đông is the most visited in Heiban and one of the most visited in southern Kesh.
Transportation
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Heiban's transport network is one of the most well-developed in the region, with virtually every single corner of the country being interconnected by some form of transportation accessible to all citizens, the most popular of these being the railway system. Set to finish expansion in 2027, the railway network that runs across Heiban is one of the largest in southern Kesh, connecting every provincial capital, large city, as well as minor cities and towns with one another. In 2011, the government finished construction of The Ring railway line (colloquially known as Ổ), designed to run along the country's coasts and northern international border, creating a circular line that connects with all international railway lines entering and exiting the country, as well as all national lines that lead to the interior of the country and the major urban centers. Although most of Heibanese railway lines remain unaltered from when they were originally built, the undergoing project seeking to modernize the country's transport system will have replaced all long-distance carriers by April of 2022.
Maritime transportation has grown increasingly common in the past decades as the population in Heiban's offshore islands grows, and so has the need to move between them and the mainland's financial and commercial centers, where most people are employed. Ferries are, by a large margin, the most common method of transport between the islands and the mainland. However, the use of larger ships has become more frequent with the increase in population and the demand for maritime travel, the latter has resulted in the creation of new sea routes between mainland cities, as is the case with the Nằn Lương-Ngốc Lạt ship route, the most used in the country, carrying nearly 300,000 passengers per day in either direction. Commercial maritime routes have also gained traction, as tourism in the South Kesh Bay becomes more common. The most common international maritime routes departing from Heiban include those connecting it to the countries with shores in the east of the South Kesh Bay.
Public transportation is the most common way of commuting in the country. According to the 2020 census, 89% of the population used methods of public transportation (bus, subway, ferry, or train) as their main way of travel. All public transport is overseen and run by the Ministry of Transport, subsidized by the government, and owned by private transport companies, such as Interra (Subways), Tàubờ and Hai Phà (Ferries and ships), or Đi Xa (Highways). The capital city of Sa Hoa is come to one of the largest underground networks in the continent, with 30 lines and 405 stations, with its current expansion having an estimated finish date set for 2023, which will add 4 new lines and 43 stations.
Air travel, though not as common as every day transportation, is highly available across most cities in the country. Every provincial capital and major city is home to an international or national airport, with the largest and most frequented of them being Sa Hoa International Airport in the country's capital. All international airports offer layover and non-stop long distance flights to Avalonia, Artemia and Kesh, however, Heiban isn't a common layover stop itself due to its location in the southern hemisphere; only a few flights will have layovers in Sa Hoa or Thầy Đây, with the most common route for layovers in Heiban being those between western Kesh and southern Avalonia. National flights are available for nearly all citizens as most minor cities host national airports, with the busiest national air route being that of Sa Hoa-Thầy Đây, the two largest cities in the country.
Despite its extensive transport infrastructure, the government of Heiban has managed to balance this with the green policies that have been a national staple for nearly a century. No transport line goes through or near protected areas or national parks, and all city parks and urban green spaces are as far away from the local highways as possible. In 2002, Empress Lý Chiêu put forward a campaign encouraging citizens to use public transport instead of purchasing new cars, which was then backed up by the elected government a year later when new driving laws were put in place in 2003, allowing car owners the usage of their vehicles only a set amount of days per week. Initially, this law would only affect cars, but in 2005 a reform expanded the law's reach to apply to motorcycles, trucks, and tractors.
Energy
In 2020, more than 65% of Heiban's electricity came from renewable sources such as hydroelectric, wind, solar, and more recently, marine energy. As the founding and first signatory country to the Yenbai Convention, the country has been a leader in the global replacement of non-renewable energy sources into renewable ones, being among the biggest nations in the world in terms of installed hydroelectric power (217 GW), wind energy (22.3 GW), and solar energy (74.1 GW).
Science and technology
Demographics
As of January of 2021, Heiban had a population of 98,785,334, based on the last national census, with an estimated population for January of 2023 of 101,056,763, projecting for a growth of 2.2 million. According to the Constitution of Heiban, the only official national language is Heibanese, spoken by virtually every citizen in the country as either a first or second language, with the official percentage of fluent speakers being 99.6% as of 2020. The government also recognizes, academically, four languages as "Necessity Languages" (㗂必要; Tiếng Tất Yếu), a title reserved for regionally and nationally important languages, excluding Heibanese (Ramayan, Eastern Ramayan, Prabhati, and Guoyu). Other languages are spoken across the country in concentrated areas, however these are only categorized as minority languages, and hold no official governmental status.
Population
As of 2023, there are 13 cities in Heiban with a population of over a million people, with the largest of these being the capital city of Sa Hoa, one of the largest capital cities in the world by land area and population. Virtually all large cities in the country have access to the sea, whether directly by virtue of being coastal cities, or indirectly through riverine transportation. As of 2021, 61% of the population lived in the 20 largest cities, and 32.3% lived in smaller cities and towns, making for a total of 94.2 million people (or 93.3% of the population) living in urban areas, while the remaining 6.7% lives in rural areas.
Largest Cities and urban areas in Heiban
Secretary of Census and Population of Heiban | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | Province | Pop. | Rank | Province | Pop. | ||||
 Sa Hoa  Yenbai |
1 | Sa Hoa | Sa Hoa (province) | 13,801,935 | 11 | Sứ Bất | Mở Lai | 1,726,094 | Nam Khẩu Nam Khẩu  Nần Lương |
| 2 | Yenbai | Yên Bái | 9,054,442 | 12 | Tải Đông | Thang Cỏ | 1,498,984 | ||
| 3 | Nam Khẩu | Từ | 6,129,054 | 13 | Trung Ngạn | Nửa Người | 1,464,772 | ||
| 4 | Nần Lương | Ðông Tượng | 4,351,908 | 14 | Thầy Đây | Từ | 1,401,584 | ||
| 5 | Ngốc Lạt | Bán Ðảo | 3,877,935 | 15 | Mã Lôi Cao | Xã Hội | 986,453 | ||
| 6 | Kẻng Thành | Tây Cung | 3,279,034 | 16 | Nhất Trạm | Vườn nữ Hoàng | 914,661 | ||
| 7 | Ván Đui | Khá Liễu | 2,987,946 | 17 | Dương Khẩu | Giữa Nước | 887,650 | ||
| 8 | Quốc Món | Quốc Món (province) | 2,949,871 | 18 | Muội Nhá | Lồng Ngực | 878,754 | ||
| 9 | Giả Phố | Lối Ði | 1,912,359 | 19 | Giáp Đạt | Nghĩa Ðịa | 854,672 | ||
| 10 | Thiên Thành | Lồng Ngực | 1,893,961 | 20 | Bắc Điền | Hoi Ngãi | 812,342 | ||
Ethnicity
Based on the census every 5 years, the Secretary of Population and Census of Heiban issues a statistical report describing the nation's ethnic composition. Around 91.2% of the population, or 92.1 million people, identified as ethnically and linguistically Sinh, making Heiban was one of the most ethnically homogenous countries in southern Kesh. The Sinh are the native population of Heiban, with records of their presence in the peninsula tracing as far back as 2,000 BCE. Linguistically, ever Sinh person in Heiban declared complete comprehension and usage of the Heibanese language in every day life.
Zhou people make up the largest ethnic minority in the country, with the latest census reporting that only 2.1% of the population claimed family ties to the former Kodeshi Empire (present-day Kodeshia and Qingcheng). During Heiban's time as a vassal state, Zhou people used to make up the largest ethnic group, comprising an estimate of 51% of the population, however, this number has steadily declined over time as Heiban entered a period known as the Zhou Cleansing, during which those of ethnic Zhou background would be excluded from "Sinh spaces", marking the only time in Heibanese history that its citizens have practiced segregation. This, however, lasted for a little over a decade and remained purely concentrated within social and cultural spaces, and were never outright promoted or defended by the government. Zhou population in Heiban only increased again in the 20th and 21st centuries, as the country rebuilt its ties with Kodeshia. Today there are 2.1 million Zhou people living in Heiban, with the largest cities reporting Zhou population being Điện Bắc (1 million), Vinh Huế (850,000), and Bến Tàu (350,000).
Ethnically mixed people make up the second largest portion of the population at 4%, however, they are not categorized by the government as a distinct group of people, and as such, many mixed race people tend to either identify as Sinh or 'Other'. Because of this as well as other historical reasons that occurred during the era of the Three Monarchs (such as illicit marriages, kidnapping of infants, or the destruction of birth certificates), the real percentage of mixed people in Heiban estimated by various historians and anthropologists is somewhere near the 40%. Out of the 2.4 million people that identify as mixed, around 80% are categorized as Sinh-Zhou, 18% as Sinh and other southern Kesh ethnicities (mostly Ramayan or Prabhati), with the remaining 2% being those of mixed foreign ancestry, such as Zhou-Ramayan or Prabhati-Ramayan.
A remaining 2.7%, or 2.7 million people, were categorized under 'Other' during the 2020 census. Most people under this category are those of Ramayan, Prabhati or Cagayano heritage, with Ramayan citizens representing the largest number at nearly a million people. The cities with the biggest cities of citizens ethnically categorized as 'Other' are those in the southeastern region of the country, with the city of Sứ Bất being home to the largest Ramayan community in Heiban.
Language
The Heibanese constitution recognizes the Heibanese language as the only official national language, spoken by around 95.6% of the population, and with a total of around 100 million speakers worldwide. Heibanese is the native language to the region, and is the Austroasiatic language with the most speakers in the world. As a result from the long-lasting Kodeshi occupation of the Heibanese peninsula during the region's early stages of development as a state, the introduced Guoyu script (chữ Sơn) and linguistic influence from the Guoyu language have become integral parts of the Heibanese language and culture well into the present day.
The Heibanese script, or chữ Sinh (𡨸生), is a logographic writing system that derives from the traditional Guoyu script used during the 13th century, with certain characters being unique to the Heibanese language and developed to better fit Heibanese lexicon. Because of script similarities, the Guoyu and Heibanese languages are somewhat mutually intelligible in their written form. As Heiban began to adopt a more global stance with its foreign policies in the 20th century the country officialized the Latin script, known in Heiban as chữ Mới (𡨸㵋), as a national and signage script in 1966. Despite the rising popularity in the use of chữ Mới, in particularly among the younger population most of whom regard it as easier to read, the government has insisted in keeping chữ Sinh as the primary national script as it is considered an essential aspect of Heibanese culture.
The second most commonly spoken language in the country is Guoyu with nearly 14 million people speaking it as a first or second language. Most of the Guoyu-speaking population comprises bilingual citizens whose first language is Heibanese, whereas the number of people that speak Guoyu as a first language in Heiban only rounds up to about 2 million speakers. The reason for the drastic increase in second language Guoyu speakers is due to government policies which requires all citizens to learn one of the four "necessity languages" (㗂必要; Tiếng Tất Yếu), as established by the Ministry of Education. The most popular of these languages is Guoyu because of the language's shared similarities with Heibanese such as script and vocabulary. Citizens whose first language is Guoyu are mainly concentrated in the country's northwest in line with the cities with the largest population of ethnically Zhou people. Many mixed Sinh-Zhou people have reported to speak the two languages fluently and are usually raised speaking both languages simultaneously.
At 5 million speakers, Ramayan makes up the third language by number of speakers in Heiban. Much like Guoyu the largest percentage of reported Ramayan speakers comes from those that have learned it as a second language. The Ramayan language a much more common necessity language in Heiban's southern provinces, contrasting to Guoyu's popularity in the north of the country. The biggest concentration of Ramayan speakers are in the city of Sứ Bất, locally referred to as the "Ramayan capital of Heiban". Consequently, a majority of the Heibanese-speaking population in the region are more frequent users of chữ Mới compared to the north where chữ Sinh has a wider use. The Ramayan languages (Ramayan and Eastern Ramayan Standard (ERS)) have historically carried big significance for Heiban and were considered the most important languages to learn for business and economic reasons as Ramay and South Kesh were some of the country's biggest trading partners. This has changed in recent times as Ramay has leaned more toward ideologies opposing those of Heiban and South Kesh begins to resurface from a humanitarian crisis in the late 20th century.
Other commonly spoken minority languages in Heiban exist primarily concentrated along the country's northern borders and in certain neighborhoods in some of the country's largest cities. Such is the case of cities like Nam Khẩu and Nần Lương, both of which hold some of the largest population of Tiberico and Prabhati speakers.
Education
The Heibanese education system is regulated and administered by the Ministry of Education of Heiban and comprises both state-owned and private institutions, which adhere to the Heibanese Academic Initiative (Sáng kiến Học thuật Hai Ban; 𤎜見學術𠄩班), also referred as the SHAI programme. The programme is designed by the Ministry of Education and redistributed among the national boards of education in the various regions of the country. The Ministry of Education has an annual budget of $124.2 billion, or around 4.6% of the total nominal GDP. The education system is divided into five academic levels:
- An initial or preschool level for children between 1 and 5 years old. As an optional level, most parents decide to homeschool their children during preschool. However, all children within this age gap are required by law to take secondary language classes of any of the four languages recognized as "necessity languages" in Heiban: Ramayan, Eastern Ramayan Standard, Prabhati, or Guoyu. In an institution, children are enrolled at age 1 or 2, and for a duration of 4 years.
- An elementary or primary school level lasting 7 years, with children starting at ages 6 or 7 years old. It is from this level onwards that education in Heiban becomes mandatory by law, and parents who don't enroll children in school can be charged with child neglect and fined accordingly. As of 2020, the literacy rate for children in primary school was 99.3%.
- A secondary or high school level lasting 6 years, with students starting at ages 13 or 14 years old. At this level religious classes become mandatory across all Heibanese institutions. Students must choose one of the following specialization when enrolling into high school: Literature and Languages, Science, Technology, or Arts. As of 2020, 91.4% of citizens between ages 13 and 19 were enrolled in secondary school.
- A tertiary level or preparatory school lasting 2 years, with students starting at ages 19 or 20. Students must select a career of their pleasing during which they will receive the appropriate education on that field of study. After graduation, students will receive a Basic Education Degree certifying that they have completed all mandatory academic levels, and are therefore elegible to work. As of 2015, 81.4% of all working adult citizens reported having a Basic Education Degree.
- A final level or university with an unfixed duration, for all citizens aged 21 and above. Although university isn't mandatory in Heiban, most students decide to enroll after preparatory school to gain access to better jobs, which tend to require a university degree. In order to enroll in university, one must be a Heibanese citizen or holder of a student visa, and pass an entrance exam in the event the person enrolling doesn't have a Basic Education Degree.
A completed academic cycle in Heiban will last an average of 23.5 years.
Due to Heiban's compulsory military service for all able citizens, both female and male, most students will choose to enroll in the military instead of moving over to preparatory school, in which case they'll receive basic courses at the military academy they've enrolled, and be granted a National Service Degree, which is as valid as a Basic Education Degree when enrolling in university.
Education is considered of the upmost importance in Heiban, and much of the country's culture has shaped the way the education system operates. Students are expected to maintain their schools clean, and faculty must offer green and religious spaces on campus. The profession of teacher is considered sacred in the country, and every citizen is expected to pay their respects to teachers and professors alike. University professors hold one of the highest wages in the country, comparable to doctors and certain positions of government.
Because of its compulsory nature, the Heibanese government has made education public, free, and accessible for all first four levels in every prefecture in the country, while also offering public education at the university level in all major cities, with the University of Sa Hoa being the largest in the country, and one of the oldest in the region, receiving international students from countries across Kesh. Today, 97.3% of all citizens are or have been enrolled in some form of academic institution, with 81.4% of those being holders of a Basic Education Degree, and 70.2% of a university degree.
Religion
The Heibanese law only recognizes one religion as official on a national level, this being Mẹ giáo. Despite freedom of religion being written into the country's supreme law, socially it is erceived as wrong or immoral to not adhere to any religion, with atheist people making up less than 1% of the total population in Heiban. The countries requires all those entering the country to declare their religious status, and all Heibanese passports and IDs must state the religion of its carrier. As of January of 2022, about 89.4% of the population identified as Mẹ giáo, 5.2% as Taoist, 3.9% as Uyghandist, and the remaining 1.5% as irreligious or spiritual. Religion in Heiban is legally passed down from mother to child, and until the age of 18 all citizens must adhere to the same religion as their mother.
Prior to the integration of Heiban into the Zhou Empire, the territory was home to several smaller local religions, traditional to Sinh culture. It is estimated that many of these religions merged into one at some point in time between the 3rd and 4th centuries CE. These initial pre-colonial faiths were given the name of Tin Nhất (信一), and are the staple for much of the foundation of not only Mẹ giáo as a religion but of many Heibanese cultural practices and ideologies that have carried into the present day, such as environmentalist practices, matriarchal societies and vegetarianism.
Taoism was first introduced in the 12th century as a result of the increasing trade relations established between Heiban and Kodeshia. In the mid-13th century the religion gained more traction as it became the official religion of Heiban as a vassal state. This was done in an attempt to fully integrate the Heibanese territory into Zhou values and lifestyle. Taoist temples were constructed all over the country, and in the largest cities where ethnically Zhou people were of bigger prominence Tin Nhất became prohibited. Despite the efforts, much of the native Sinh population refused to practice Taosim as an act of resistance across a vast majority of the territory's population that persisted for much of Heiban's time as a vassal state. This resistance came back into play in the mid-16th century when Samot Uyghanidst missionaries arrived to the shores of the peninsula looking to spread their religious beliefs across the region. Much of the native Heibanee population found refuge in the newly introduced religion, which was not prohibeted by Zhou authorities, and by 1515 an estimated of 85% of the Sinh people at the time had become fully adherent to Uyghandism.
Mẹ giáo (媄教) was not formalized into a religion until the mid-17th century, which was established as a result of the native Tin Nhất merging with the more recently adopted Uyghandist practices and beliefs introduced by Samot missionaries. The Mẹ giáo belief system consists of Four Palaces, or Tứ Phủ (四府), each representing a different realm: Heaven, Mountains, Water and Earth, ruled by a different Mother Goddess, or Mẫu (母), which have been part of Sinh folklore for centuries and are of unknown origin. It wasn't until the arrival of Uyughandism that the Mẫu began to be considered native Sinh women who had reached enlightenment and lived in the peninsula sometime durng the 6th century BCE. With this was developed the idea of the Four Noble Truths, or Tứ Diệu Đế (四妙諦), practiced through meditation, monasticism, prayer, the cultivation of Đức hạnh (德行), and the observance of Ngũ giới (五戒).
The observance of Ngũ giới in particular has become of massive significance in Heiban following its formation as a state, resulting in the legalization of five precepts based on Ngũ giới and Mẹ giáo. In 1910 the Heibanese government adopted the Ngũ phép (五法), five "sacred laws" modeled after the Ngũ giới.
- To abstain from onslaught on breathing beings: This includes the acts of murder or homicide, ordering or causing someone else to kill another human being, kidnapping, torture, arson, and in recent times it’s been used to promote the practice of vegetarianism and veganism nationwide. Loopholes have been built around this belief in order to justify the death penalty, which can be dictated by the Monarch of Heiban or the Ladies of Justice. Crimes performed against this belief are punishable with the death penalty.
- To abstain from taking what is not given: This includes all forms of theft, tax evasion and tax fraud, forgery, blackmail, burglary, extortion, pickpocketing, smuggling and vandalism. Crimes performed against this belief are punishable with imprisonment.
- To abstain from misconduct concerning sense-pleasures: This includes adultery, rape, bestiality, incest, prostitution and pedophilia, with the legal age of consent being 21 years old. Crimes performed against this belief are punishable with imprisonment or the death penalty.
- To abstain from false speech: This includes the criminal offense of lèse-majesté, terrorism, as well as any form of defamation of the government and its ideology through written or spoken speech. All published material that doesn’t align with this precept is banned or censored, and punishable with imprisonment or the death penalty.
- To abstain from alcoholic drink or drugs that are an opportunity for heedlessness: This includes the consumption and distribution, whether through selling or buying, of illegal substances. Medicinal drugs and alcoholic beverages have been excluded from this belief for several decades. Crimes performed against this belief are punishable with imprisonment.
In Heiban the figure responsible for interpreting and protecting Mẹ giáo is the protector of the faith. Traditionally, the position is held by the monarch and is passed down hereditarily. However, in the present day the position is not exercised and its responsibilities have been de facto assumed by the Mẫu phụ since the 1990s. The Mẫu phụ of Heiban is always a woman elected by Head Monks of each of the Four Palaces for life tenure.
Sexuality and gender
Since its inception as a constitutional monarchy, Heiban has functioned under a matriarchal system, a tradition that dates back to the times of the first Sinh states preceeding initial contact with Kodeshia. As such, much of the country's fundamental laws around inheritance, marriage, religion, politics, and personal freedoms have always included, and in certain instances favored, women. All forms of inheritance, including the succession in the Heibanese royal family, are matrilineal in nature, meaning they are passed down from mother to daughter, or son in the absence of female descendants. Citizens are receptors, upon birth, of their maternal surname and religion. The country has a ceremonial head of state known as the Matriarch of Heiban, a hereditary position that serves an entirely symbolical function, reintroduced to the country as a nod to the ancient Matriarchs of Heiban.
Women's rights in Heiban have not been contested for nearly five centuries, and women are oftentimes more encouraged than men to apply for positions in government, finances, and science. Because women in Heiban are, culturally, expected to act as both providers and nurturers, new mothers are constitutionally entitled to 52 weeks of paid maternity leave that can sometimes be contested for more. A small gender pay gap does exist in the country, where men earn on average 95% of what women are paid for doing the same work. It is not uncommon for single mothers to move and raise their children together as their salary combined is oftentimes larger than that of a mother and a father. This practice has become more common over the years, leading to a new family composition unique to Heiban known as Mẹ đôi (媄堆).
Mẹ đôi saw its first and biggest boom in the early 90s, when about 60% of single mothers across the country reported to be living in a shared household with another single mother. Eventually, this resulted in many of these women living together forging marriage certificates to acquire the benefits that came with legal unions in areas such as hospital care, rent, ownership, taxes, and social welfare. At the time, though not illegal, there was no part of the constitution that mentioned same-sex unions and relationships, resulting in an increasing demand for same-sex marriage to be written into the constitution. A bill presented to parliament in August of 1995 that would allow for same-sex marriage nationwide was passed on September 6th of that same year, but it was only made to include legal unions between two women, as men were still expected to procreate and take part in heterosexual marriages. This was contested in 2001 when prince Bảo Sơn, the oldest child of princess Tố Nhi, was confirmed to be in a relationship with another man. In support, Empress Lý Chiêu presented a bill to Parliament to extend the legal status of same-sex marriage to be applied to men, approved on 16 October 2003. Additionally, the Same-sex Marriage Act was revised to also include the recognition of same-sex unions that had taken place in foreign countries.
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LGBTQ+ rights have never been contested in Heiban, as the state religion and native traditional beliefs show no indicators of intolerance toward same-sex relations. Based on ancient records, it is estimated that in early Sinh civilizations men and women alike would marry people of the same gender to raise children together in the absence of one of the biological parents. Queer people in Heiban are often respected and not discriminated against, particularly those of older generations. Nevertheless, exceptions exist particularly in the northeastern provinces, where Zhou presence is more prominent. In 2017 the LGBTQ+ organization Heibanese Queer Front conducted an online survey about queer people in Heiban that managed to gather nearly 100,000 responses across the country; out of these responses, 89% of queer surveyors affirmed to feeling safe in non-queer spaces, 87% of non-queer surveyors claimed to not be bothered by LGBTQ+ presence in Heiban, and 94% of all surveyors agreed when asked "is Heiban LGBTQ+ friendly?". Since 2003, laws have been created to protect queer youth, and in 2009 the Ministry of Education called for a zero-tolerance policy to be put in place in all academic institutions. Pride parades are held every year during the month of October across the country's largest cities, with the one held in the capital city of Sa Hoa being one of the largest in the world.
There are records of transgender people existing and being openly present in Heibanese society that go as far back as the 3rd century BCE. It was not uncommon for men to wear women's clothes, as these were oftentimes produced in larger quantity, and in more recent times have been considered more comfortable to wear during the summer months. Men were encouraged to wear make up and keep their hair long as it was associated with femininity, and in turn considered positive. During the 13th century, in order to access what were considered "women's jobs", some men would live as women in public. These practices were severely pushed back with the introduction of Zhou values, and made illegal during most of the 15th century. However, as with many other early Heibanese traditions, transgenderism became reintegrated in the country during the 19th century, and today, Heiban is one of the countries to perform the largest amount of sex reassignment surgeries (SRS), receiving patients from all over the world.
Health
Hospital and medical care in Heiban is overseen by the Ministry of Health, along with the many non-ministerial government agencies, with total national expenditures on health amounting to about 25.9% of the total GDP in 2018. Heiban's healthcare system employs nearly 23 million people across the entire country in all areas of medicine (nursery, surgery, military, pediatrics, etc.). Since the 1990s, the Heibanese government has put extensive focus on the healthcare system, increasing the budget of the Ministry of Health from 5.3% of the GDP in 2001, to 12% in 2004. This, in turn, has resulted in many medical breakthroughs taking place throughout the years in many of Heiban's laboratories and research universities, and the development of high-end technology used for medical treatment and research. As of 2020, one of Heiban's main exports are pharmaceutical products, such as aspirin, vaccines, and diabetes medication, as well as medical equipment, such as microscopes, ambulances, and hospital beds.
Since 2006, Heiban has had public and universal healthcare to which all citizens and foreigners have the constitutional right to access. It's estimated that around 63% of the population are reliant on the public healthcare system, while the remaining 37% are possessors of a medical insurance, oftentimes provided by the private companies to their employees and their immediate families. There are nearly 2,000 public hospitals across Heiban, most of them located in the Miền Vua, Miền Am, Miền Gốc and Miền Sáng regions. Something that has been criticized several times by the general public is the religious detachment from medicine in the country as almost no hospital or clinic in Heiban has a praying space, and virtually all medical research is conducted without regard to religious morality.
Medical education in Heiban has grown in importance particularly during the 21st century, and classes such as First Aid, Nutrition, and Anatomy have gone from optional to compulsory status in most high schools across the country. As of 2022, university medical students amount to nearly 16 million.
Culture
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Heibanese culture is unique to the region, drawing aspects from ancient traditions and customs from the native Sinh population and introduced elements from the Kodeshi Empire around the 11th century and onwards. Heiban itself is regarded as a hybrid mixture of these regional customs merging together and being influenced by the national religion, Mẹ giáo, which in itself draws aspects from Uyghandism, a Samot religion, and native Sinh religions. In 2018 the Ministry of Culture issued a report stating that nearly 98% of the population adhered to, followed, and respected national cultural traditions and integrity, with only a minority, usually members of immigrant families, not partaking in Heiban's customs. This is attributed to the work of the Royal Guard of Traditions (Heibanese: 保衛傳統𧵑皇家; Bảo vệ truyền thống của Hoàng gia), a branch of the military tasked with enforcing the Heibanese concept of Sử Chắn (事振).
Sử Chắn
Sử Chắn (事振), literally translated as "to shield/protect history", is a Heibanese cultural concept that consists in ensuring that those who follow Heibanese traditions do so respectfully, correctly and with the right intention. This is usually done through teaching, lawmaking, guiding, and exposure. The practice was first developed around the 18th and 19th centuries as a way to teach Heibanese children how to properly follow traditions that had been altered by Zhou customs, and during the 20th century that Sử Chắn gained traction and recognition as a common practice with the rise of globalization, migratory waves, and tourism. Today, it is very common for Heibanese people to practice Sử Chắn with foreigners and tourists to ensure that they are properly partaking in Heibanese tradition without being disrespectful. Although Sử Chắn is generally viewed as a positive practice it is an inherently neutral concept and Heibanese people are free to choose how to approach the practice. For instance, while some shops will teach tourists how to wear traditional Heibanese attire, others might prohibit the selling of traditional clothing to non-Heibanese people; both instances are considered Sử Chắn. In essence, the main goal of Sử Chắn is to avoid cultural disrespect, which can be done by enlightening foreigners or sheltering the tradition from them. Sử Chắn can never be practiced by non-Heibanese people, as it is viewed as an extreme act of disrespect to the country.
Common practices
Many of Heiban's common practices date back to before the 10th century, and though many have evolved with time they are still important to Heibanese culture and are considered a core aspect of the national identity. Some of the most common practices to this day are:
- Nhất nhìn Nhất chào (一𥆾一嘲): Literally translated as "first seen, first greet", it's a common practice in Heiban for non-familial settings, and consists in greeting people in a group starting with those known the longest to those yet to meet. This practice has existed in Heiban since the 7th century, but has gotten less strict with time. Today, it's not really important for people to greet a group in the exact order of acquaintance as long as those that they don't know yet are greeted last. This is because a proper formal introduction in Heiban is considerably longer than a greeting, and is therefore considered rude to leave those people who only require a greeting waiting for the formal introduction to be over.
- Khóc Sen (哭蓮): Literally translated as "to mourn the lotus flower", it's a practice observed at the end of every lunar month which consists in laying a lotus flower on the nearest river for every recently lost loved one. As part of Khóc Sen it is also common to recite the Từ Tang (自桑), a spiritual prayer to honor a person's death. Those who have not lost loved ones they can remember will usually not take part in the practice, or will instead lay a flower friend's loved one. The biggest instance of Khóc Sen in recorded Heibanese history took place in 2001 after the death of the Empress Mother Hải Vân at the age of 85, for whom it is estimated that nearly 40 million people laid a lotus flower.
- Tặng Mình (贈𠇮): Literally translated as "to gift oneself". This practice dates back to the 16th century, not long after Heibanese independence from Imperial Kodeshia, and it consists in bringing a gift whenever entering someone's house for the first time. The act of giving someone a gift in Heiban is considered a very respectful act and it hails from the importance given to the concept of individual ownership. Making gifts symbolizes trust, respect, and appreciation in Heibanese culture.
Art
Heibanese art includes age-old art forms developed through centuries and the more recently developed contemporary art. Its origins have been heavily influenced by Sinh art and scenes from Kodeshi epics, with the recent addition of Uyghandism and Mẹ giáo influence in the more contemporary art forms. Traditional Sinh art began as a style of visual narrative through paintings in stone that depicted subjects in two dimensions without perspective, with the size of each element in the picture reflecting its degree of importance. In this technique the main elements are isolated from each other by space, eliminating the intermediate ground that would otherwise imply perspective. This art form was later influenced by Kodeshi presence in Heiban, resulting in the development of shadow puppetry (Heibanese: 𡥵𤞖䏾; Con Rối Bóng), that consisted in creating an artistic narrative of tales and key elements of Kodeshi influence while using Sinh art techniques. Today, the most frequent narrative subjects from paintings include Kodeshi and Sinh folklore, Uyghandist and Mẹ giáo tales, as well as fictional Sinh tales about the earth, its formation and events, that have been accustomed to the modern age form of storytelling.
Much of modern Heibanese sculptures almost exclusively depict images of the Mother Goddesses part of the Mẹ giáo pantheon, and of Uyghandist figures, differentiating itself from the Samot style by using techniques of a much more traditional and antique Taoist form of art brought in from Imperial Kodeshia in the 15th century. Wood and stone are the most common materials used for traditional Heibanese sculpting, especially among the Sinh people whose ancestors would almost exclusively make sculptures out of carved wood. Between the 12th and 19th century, the people of Heiban developed a refined stone sculpting art and architectural influence by immigrant Kodeshi civilization. The Temple of Tiền Lúc is among the most famous examples of this practice.
Architecture
Literature
Entertainment
Film
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The film industry in Heiban is one of the largest in southern Kesh, with the five largest film studios in the country spending an average of $15.4 billion annually. Most of the movies produced in Heiban specialize in the drama, horror and psychological thriller genres, with historical and nonfiction films not being as well received by the general public. Though foreign film industries are usually well-received by Heibanese audiences, particularly those from eastern Kesh and northern Avalonia, movies from certain countries must be put under review to review and censor accordingly as part of the government's policies on foreign media.
The first films were introduced in the country in the early 20th century after their popularization in Artemia and eastern Kesh. Film production didn't occur in Heiban until years later with the first Heibanese film Im Lặng Là Vàng, directed by Lạc Trọng Chính and released on 18 March 1914. The mute, black and white, 85-minutes feature film took 7 months to film and it costed almost $3.2 million, or $40.6 million when adjusted for inflation. It was acclaimed by the critiques and the public alike, and as the first domestic film it set the standard for the Heibanese film industry during most of the 20th century in terms of production, script, and themes. Heibanese cinema is characterized by its use of unsettling plot devices and dialogue, as well as big expressions from its actors. The most popular genre in the country is horror or thriller, which has become a staple of modern Heibanese culture.
Heibanese TV shows and silver screen films are usually much lighter than movies in themes and production, with the most popular being comedies and musicals. Animation is fairly common in the country, especially in film, with animation studios spending an average of $12.4 billion annually. The first animated Heibanese film was Truyện Ngắn, released in 1995 and making nearly $200 million at the box office. Heiban also imports animated movies and TV shows produced abroad, which are then dubbed to Heibanese or subtitled. Aside from scripted shows and domestic films, the silver screen is also characterized by variety shows, usually hosted by or hosting Heibanese celebrities and encompassing different segments like sketches, games and interviews within a single episode. Variety shows have received overwhelmingly good critiques and receptions since they first aired in 1990, and are usually considered as the main way to keep up with mainstream media in the country. The most well-known of these shows is Thật là vui thú!, which in 2016 hosted an episode with Empress Lý Chiêu as guest.
Music
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Traditional Heibanese music takes in a considerable amount of influence from Kodeshi musical elements and mixes them with native Sinh musical aspects. String instruments, introduced and adopted in the 6th century, are at the core of what could be considered the national music, found in nearly all pieces of folk and classical music. The national instrument, the đàn nguyệt, is a two-stringed instrument whose strings were formerly made of silk and are today frequently made of nylon or fishing line, and though much commonly found in traditional Heibanese music it's made its way into modern songs fairly often. Historically, music in Heiban has been a form of storytelling of the many different native Sinh folk tales, only later introducing stories of Kodeshi origin. During the Vassalization of Heiban, people would use song lyrics as means of communication, especially when it came to heeding warnings or spreading news without the authorities founding out. One of the most popular of these was the song Kẻ Thù Bí Mật, translating to "the snake in the grass", famously used by Sinh people in the 14th century to warn about Kodeshi soldiers approaching.
With the so-called Heibanese Liberation Movement in the 1900s, the national music scene was subjected to a major lyrical and thematical shift as songs with more uplifting messages, such as ballads and love songs, gained popularity across the country. This is oftentimes referred to by historians as Heiban's "rebirth", attributed to the improvement of the country's political and social climate by the government's reform a few decades prior. In the 1930s, with the popularization of film and television, the country would see its first music videos broadcasts, usually aired in between shows or movies. Initially, music videos would just display the singer, and sometimes a small band behind them, throughout the duration of the song, but as time went on, and particularly during the 1950s, music videos began to incorporate stories and plots that were usually being narrated by the singer through lyrics. The 1960s and 1970s in Heiban saw the rise of international songs making their way to the homes of the general population, and especially those sung in Guoyu and Akitei became particularly well-received.
The standard for modern Heibanese music was set in the 1980s and 1990s, with the quick outspread of pop and rock music, both of which have become some of the most popular music genres in the modern day. During the late 1990s and early 2000s, the country became witness to its first large wave of fanaticism of music artists among the younger population, product of the newly introduced concept of pop groups, boy bans, and girl groups, that would usually market to a specific demographic. Today, these artists are largely among the most famous in Heiban and internationally, particularly in the southern Kesh region, having developed the concept of Heibanese pop, and making by far the largest revenue out of any other type of artist, contributing up to $8 billion to the country's GDP each year. Music festivals in Heiban are frequent and many have been adopted as national traditions, with the largest of them being the Lotus Festival, taking place in the city of Giả Phố on 7 May during Heiban Day, meant to celebrate national pride.
Cuisine
Heibanese cuisine is one of the few cultural elements in the country to openly integrate aspects of many different civilizations and cultures throughout the continent as opposed to just Kodeshia. Much of what is considered traditional Heibanese cuisine can find its roots in the culmination of Kodeshi, Sinh, Ramayan, Prabhati and Cagayano foods and cooking styles. Throughout the years, Heiban has developed what's known domestically as Ăn Sự Dạy (咹事𠰺), roughly translated as "eating instructions". Ăn Sự Dạy consists of many different practices and traditions carried over before, during, and after any meal, with different variations depending on the type of meal, location, number of people, and time of year. Some of the more common practices of Ăn Sự Dạy include: only eating once the oldest person in the table has taken the first bite, blessing the food, lighting a specific amount of candles, or using floor-level tables for certain occasions. Fast food chains became the main way to introduce foreign meals in Heiban, with Kodeshi restaurant chain Zhenkekou being one of the most well-known and popular in the country.
Traditional pre-colonial Sinh cuisine finds its way into modern Heibanese cuisine through the integration of ingredients such as oranges, bread, coconuts, herbs, and particularly mushrooms. Mushrooms are the most prominent food in Heibanese cuisine and can be found as the main ingredient in almost all of the country's most popular foods, snacks or desserts, including the national dish Nấm Tiệc (埝席), which consists of mushroom heads stuffed with chopped mushroom, peppers, cheese, and onions. For centuries each region in Heiban has had their own approach to Nấm Tiệc, each stuffed with different ingredients, and today nearly a hundred variants of the dish exist across the country. Aside from mushrooms, the usage of fruits, particularly in desserts, is considered a Sinh culinary tradition, with fruits such as mango, orange, coconut, bananas, guava, and pineapple being among the most commonly used for both savory and sweet dishes. Apart from mushroom-based dishes, various soups are regarded as the oldest culinary tradition in Heiban. As one of its tourism slogans, the Ministry of Culture claims that Heiban has "a soup for everything", there being things such as breakfast soups, dessert soups, cold soups, soups for specific holidays, and remedy soups. Popular Heibanese dishes include mushroom pastries (埝𠮾; Nấm Ngọt), mango ice cream, fried rice noodles (炒米粉; Sao Mai Phấn), coconut and orange coffee, and chocolate-covered crickets (巧克力𡥵啼; Sôcôla Con Dế).
A peculiarity of Heibanese cuisine is the almost complete avoidance of meat, a direct result of the adoption of Mẹ giáo as the state religion. Since the 14th century many Heibanese people have followed a strictly vegetarian or vegan diet, which reflects in the population's consumption of meat. Heiban is among the smallest producers and importers of meat in the world, and many non-vegetarian mainstream foods are usually made with a vegetarian alternative. Fish has been an exception for the most part, particularly in the south where most agricultural workers rely on fishing for a living as the land is not as arable as the rest of the country.
