Hirondelles

Hirondelles is a country in Central Avalonia. It shares a land border with Huaranga to its north and Morlaixie to its west.

The Republic of Hirondelles La Republique du Côte des Hirondelles
Flag
Anthem: Aux armes dixies!
Location of  Hirondelles  (dark green) in Anterra  (grey)
Capital and largest city	Lénore
Official languages	Dixiens
Ethnic groups	Dixien Creole
Demonym	Hirondellien
Government	Republic
Area
• Total Surface Area	65,337 km2 (25,227 sq mi)
Population
• 2023 estimate	10,845,942
• Density	166/km2 (429.9/sq mi)
GDP (PPP)	2021 estimate
• Per capita	$
GDP (nominal)	2021 estimate
• Total	$82,874m
• Per capita	$7,641
Gini (2021)	45 medium
HDI (2021)	0.80 very high
Time zone	UTC-6 (GMT)
• Summer (DST)	Not Observed
Date format	dd.mm.yyyy
Driving side	right
Calling code	+309
Internet TLD	.hua

History

Post-independence

First Republic (1942-85)

Run by Dixiens for Dixiens

The Saint-Germain War (1977)

War fought largely in the Cradle of Saint-Germain.

Second Republic (1985-present)

Reform to a more egalitarian constitution.

Government

Government

The Hirondellien government operates a unicameral parliamentary system.

International Relations

The Republic of Hirondelles remains locked in a frozen conflict with Morlaixie

Armed Forces

The Hirondellien Defence Forces have a peacetime strength of 100,000 personnel with 763,000 reservists and a budget of $2.9bn or 3.5% of GDP. This force is staffed by conscription, with around 40% of the c. 82,000 men coming of age each year in Hirondelles being called up into the Defence Forces for a period of 18 months.

Hirondellien Armed Forces
Further information Founded 1942 Current form 1945 Manpower Military age 18 Conscription Yes, 24 months Reaching military age annually 82,000 Active personnel 100,000 (58,000 conscripts) Reserve personnel 763,000 Expenditures Budget $2,900m Percent of GDP 3.5% Industry Foreign suppliers

Demographics

Ethnic Groups

Approximately 60% of Hirondelles' population self-identify as Dixiens. Of the remaining 40%, 17% self-identify as (creole), 14% as Hauamo and 9% as Ovannois.

Dixiens

"Dixiens" is a general name applied to inhabitants of Belle Cote whose families moved there in the 1920s and 1930s. Unlike earlier waves of immigration, these immigrants were largely skilled industrial workers looking to start new lives away from the chaos of the collapsed empires of Artemia. Consequently, they were also more diverse than prior waves, which had been primarily Ovannois.

Culture

Cultural diversity

Hirondellien culture is heavily influenced by the sheer diversity of its population. Whilst often being grouped together and finding common cause in their new home, Dixiens originally came from many different countries and ethnicities from Artemia, each bringing with them some aspects of their land of birth. However, in addition to the Dixiens, there were the existing populations of Ovannois-Hauamo creoles and a largely urban population who fully identified themselves as being Ovannois. Whilst the latter two groups faced discrimination under the First Republic, their culture became an inescapable part of the melting pot that became Hirondellien culture.

Economy

Hirondelles is a developing upper middle income market economy. In the modern day it is heavily reliant on the extraction, processing and export of energy, particular petroleum and related products, with much of the industry it was once known for having been made uncompetitive when compared to petroleum production.

Agriculture

The Hirondellien agricultural sector largely focuses on the production of raw materials which can then be processed into luxury goods. Particular standouts in this regard are its wine and chocolate.

Energy

Hirondelles produces 320,000 barrels of crude oil a day on average, with most of this being processed in Hirondelles and then exported if it is not consumed locally. This makes Hirondelles a net energy exporter. Because of this, Hirondelles has not invested very heavily in alternative forms of energy production, with its energy grid being largely oil driven.

Industry

Historically, Hirondelles was the most industrially developed part of Belle Côte. When the empire broke apart, after the civil wars which followed, it found itself in possession of most of the empire's industrial infrastructure and with a large, skilled workforce. However, in recent years, the industrial sector has gone into decline, mostly due to competition for skilled labour from oil extraction and processing. The industry which remains is largely focussed on chemical industries, notably fertiliser and synthetic dye production, and producing by-products of oil, largely plastics.

Services

Hirondelles possesses a large services sector. However, it is mainly focussed around "short-term" services, such as bars and clubs, for use by oil rig and industrial workers. Retail has also come to be a significant part of the services sector. Whilst this has provided large numbers of low-skilled jobs, these jobs are vulnerable to shifts in oil prices and the corresponding shifts in disposable income from workers in sectors dependant on these prices.

This can also be seen in Hirondellien higher education. Whilst L'Universite Technique de Lenore has established itself as a leading institution in Avalonia regarding oil and gas engineering and related fields, it lags behind in other areas.