| The Nation: Official State Name: The Democratic Commonwealth of Bergonia In Minidun, the "primary official language," the name is Democrai Gatlerin Bergonia. Other names: Bergeria (alt.), Perecalne (ancient), Avalon (1500s), the "Copper Island," the "Juniper Island," "Isle of Hydrangeas," "Wogonia" (pejorative, see Ethnicities).  Government: A democratic socialist, federal state, organized under a constitution. Leaders are chosen in hotly contested elections. An independent judiciary functions with rule by and respect for law. Civil liberties and human rights are scrupulously protected. Federalism with 31 States: States and the counties are guaranteed great power by the constitution. The People: Population: 170,151,000 (2000 Census), 168,033,000 (1990 Census). This represents virtual zero population growth, which pleases the Bergonians very much-- they look on in amazement at how the U.S. has grown from 170 million to 300 million in just 45 years. Ethnicities: Atrei (native races) 75%; Sherei (mixed) 16%; "European" (White) 9%. Atrei, native peoples mostly have dark brown, copper or "red" complexions, and dark features. Their noses are small or flat compared to Caucasians. To Europeans & Americans (at least in the past) they are "colored," thus becoming another target of Western racism. Religions: Miradi: 60%, Christianity: 29%, Jewish: just under 1%, No declared faith 9%. Miradi is the native religion that flowered before the Europeans came. Languages: Minidun 42 %, Nacateca 38 %, French 5.6 %, English 4.1 %, Pasan 5 %, Portuguese 2.4 % A ll six are designated official languages, including small pockets of other indigenous languages. Twin Capitals: Ceiolai (ministries and courts) and Lefitoni (Congress, President & Executive Council). The Seven Largest Cities by City, State (Population) Ceiolai , Rarsecin, (11,260,000), for Bergonians a combination of Rome and New York City. The cultural capital, past and present. Lefitoni, Letlari (7,231,000), nation's capital, modern, lakeshore capital city, ringed by industrial districts. Glen, Halemarec (5,192,000), largest port, industrial, colorful, gaudy, cosmopolitan, commercial center. Cationi , Paietri (4,144,000), port city, crowded on a small peninsula with a ridge 2,000 ft high, a hundred wards each with its own personality, built on ledges, a bawdy harbor district. Alai Arsai , Pueoi (3,722,000), port city, well-planned southern lynchpin, parks & fountains everywhere, torrid climate & climate-controlled "indoor streets." Piatalani, Cuecha (3,628,000), beautiful traditional inland city with scant Western influence, hugely industrial, center of Nacateca media & culture. Harler-Bathilicon, Serpi (3,366,000), naval port, spread across marshy coastal islands, water-buses everywhere, energy capital. Urbanization: Urban 65%, Rural 35%. Urban here means residing in metro areas of more than 100,000 population. Rural means residing in the remainder. | The Land: Area:: 1,090,132 sq. miles. Geology: This small continent straddles two small tectonic plates that are separated by a Mid-Atlantic volcanic fault, and thus are being pushed away from each other. Bergonia consists of newly uplifted land, including lava flows, with only modest amounts of sedimentation and erosion. Earthquakes, nine active volcanoes, more geysers than any other country, hundreds of hot springs, all testify to Bergonia's jittery tectonics. Climate: Subtropical, semiarid, and temperate highland climates. In the south and the lowlands, summer is hot and winter is warm. In the north, the highlands, and on the central plateau, summer is warm and winter is cool. Rainfall varies greatly: from 12 inches a year in the "deserts" of the extreme southeast, to 80 inches per year in temperate rainforests in the northwest. Most of the country is (naturally) forested, but about a third is given to open grassland and scrub country, with forests in patches. The forests include (a) temperate rainforests, (b) temperate seasonal forests in the highlands & north coast, (c) dry subtropical forests (like Cuba), (d) highland oak & pine forests, (e) mountain cloud forests, and (f) lowland subtropical forest. Highest Peak: Kalt, 17,517 ft, in the Mousri Mountains. Three other peaks in this range, in Pasiana, exceed 16,000 feet. The Economy: This is a socialist economy, largely consisting of worker-owned cooperatives. All large economic organizations are owned by their workers and organized as cooperatives. Executive councils and management are democratically elected and audited. Individual incomes are usually limited by law to shares of cooperative income. Under law, no enterprise's top job can be paid more than six times the lowest starting pay. This system forbids both private accumulation of wealth & capital and private ownership of the means of production, save for sole proprietorships limited to under 12 employees. All enterprises with 12 or more workers are organized as worker-owned cooperatives. Manufacturing and other large enterprises are organized as "federated cooperatives," which are contractually based structures of small cooperatives working together according to a plan, under the management of an elected council and officers. The cooperatives within a particular craft, industry or profession belong to regional and national associations called syndicals (Fr.) or syndicates, that have a role in economic planning. The syndicals survey & gauge market need & demand, and then set & assign production quotas among the member co-ops. They buy raw materials in huge quantities for their members, usually from other syndicals. This system reduces middle-man and marketing costs considerably, and the long-range contracts also encourage price stability. Syndical leadership is democratic, with most major decisions being put to direct vote by their members. The Congress has by law organized some economic sectors into monopolies, such as the telephone system, wherein all the active cooperatives are organized into one structure. Even within this framework, the individual productive units are self-governing, and protected by a system of law and contract. Since this is a cooperative system, all the workers carry the burden of economic downturns, so that everyone reduces their hours or pay, however slightly, rather than lay off anyone. |  Maps: Big Basic Map The 31 States, Topographical Map The Two Giant Maps: These big .GIF files are each 3200 pixels wide, requiring the viewer to scroll over it from side to side, from top to bottom. Though impossible to view as a whole, they show Bergonia in considerable detail, with all major place names: 1) The Monster Topographical Map shows rivers, cities and counties. WARNING! This map is huge and may have trouble downloading with some browsers. 2) The Giant Political Map highlights counties and cities, also shows major highways. Climate Maps Natural Vegetation Bergonia's History in Maps WARNING! This page contains 20 or so maps and will take a while to load. Medieval Bergonia Any reader's comments, criticisms or suggestions are welcome. E MAIL US Major Industries: Electrical, electronic & computer equipment; Books, printed materials and other media, software (under open source rules); Chemicals & pharmaceuticals, mining and agricultural technology, industrial and manufacturing equipment, precision tools & instruments; Boats and aircraft; Specialized consumer products (e.g. bicycles, cameras, kayaks), optics & lenses; Glassware, furniture, fine crafts (e.g. glassware, jewelry) including hand crafts. Chief Services: Computer, information, and communication technology; Medical and biological technology, scientific research in all fields, academics & teaching; Architectural, engineering & specialized construction, environmental sciences; Translation and other language services; graphics, art & design; tourism & leisure; athletic training; Very little marketing, sales, or financial services. Chief Agricultural Products: Cotton, hemp, flax, wool; Wheat, maize/corn, soy, oils; Sugar, subtropical vegetables, citrus and other fruits; Sugar, cotton and grains are Bergonia's major agricultural exports. Underground Resources: Ample coal, iron & basic metals; some oil and precious metals; virtually no natural gas. Copper is Bergonia's largest mineral export. Bergonia imports 45% of the oil it consumes, but the average Bergonian consume 23% as much as the average American. |
