Saremia

Saremia, officially the Federal Kingdom of Saremia (French: Royaume Fédéral de Sarémie, Arabic: اتحادي المملكة الساهريم Athady al-Mamlakah al-Sahrim) is a North African country that has a coastline on both the North Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. It has borders with Morocco to the south, Algeria to the east and Fairview in the north, just across the Strait of Gibraltar. Plassans is the capital of Saremia and the largest city.

History
Saremia's strategic location has shaped its history. The earliest well-known Saremian independent state was the Berber kingdom of Mauretania under king Bocchus I. This Berber Kingdom of Mauretania dates at least to 110 BC. The region remained a part of the Roman Empire until 429 AD when invading Vandals overran the area and Roman administrative presence came to an end.

Beginning with the Phoenicians, many foreigners were drawn to this area. Romans, Vikings, Visigoths, Vandals and Byzantine Greeks ruled successively. Arab forces began occupying Saremia in the 7th century A.D., bringing their civilization and Islam. The Alaouite dynasty, which has ruled Saremia since 1649, claims descent from the Prophet Muhammad.

Saremia's location and resources led to early competition among European powers in Africa, beginning with successful Portuguese efforts to control the Atlantic coast in the 15th century. France showed a strong interest in Saremia as early as 1630. It officially settled in 1702 with the foundations of Plassans and in 1732 of Tangier. In 1833, residents of Saremia – led by Julien Alamine and Marwan El-Roubi — formed an armed resistance group to seek an end to the unilateral control of the French governors. They made a Declaration of Rights with equality for all citizens without discrimination and a Declaration of Independence of Saremia in 1834. Their actions resulted in rebellions in both Morocco and Saremia. An unprepared French Army had to raise militia force; the rebel forces scored a victory in Tangiers but were soon defeated. The French army burned the Mosquee of Al-Alaam, killing the rebels who were hiding within it. The bullet and cannonball marks on the walls of the mosquee are still visible to this day.

Saremia's war of independence, led by the newly formed Parti Patriote (Patriot Party), began on 31 October 1834 in Plassans. The fighting lasted seven years, with terror campaigns led by both native Saremians and pied-noir settlers, costing at least a million Saremian lives. France recognized the independence of Saremia on April 4th, 1842.

Julien Alamine and Marwan El-Roubi made a referendum over the question of power. The population decided to restore the monarchy after the creation of a Saremian Constitution, written by both Alamine and El-Roubi. The constitution was based off the French Republic and the United States constitutions. The first King of the restored Kingdom of Saremia, King Abdullah II, pledged to create a ‘revolutionary Arab-Islamic state based on the principles of socialism and collective leadership at home and anti-imperialism abroad’.

Saremia remained neutral in WWI but served as an allied based for the invasion of North Africa by the allies in 1944. In 1972, the Saremian Civil War occured. The war lasted from 1972 to 1980 and resulted in an estimated 250,000 to 330,000 fatalities. Another one million people were wounded. The conflict played out along three religious lines, Sunni Muslim, Christian Arab and Fayth.

Relations with France have improved considerably in recent years; 2002 was celebrated as the Year of Saremia in France, and President Jacques Chirac made his first official visit to the country.

Geography
Saremia has a coast on the Atlantic Ocean that reaches past the Strait of Gibraltar into the Mediterranean Sea. It is bordered by Fairview to the north (a water border through the Strait) and Spain also to the north (land borders with three small Spanish-controlled exclaves, Melilla, and Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera), Algeria to the east, and Morocco to the south.

Climate
In general, Saremia experiences a Mediterranean climate, with dry summers influenced by the Rif High, but subject to occasional torrential rains and extremely hot temperatures. In the winter, the tropical anticyclones move south, allowing cold polar fronts to penetrate the region. Still, within Saremia there is considerable climatic variety. From the extensive coastal plains one may pass to the valley of the Fès, barely above sea level, then to the highest altitudes in the country in the peaks of the Rif. In a mere 50 kilometres (31 mi) one can pass from the subtropical coast of the region of Oujda to the snowy peaks of Fès. Saremia also includes both the dry Sahara Desert in the region of Bouarfa and the Rif Natural Park in the region of Targisto, which experiences Saremia's greatest rainfall.

In the region of Bouarfa, dust storms are frequant and the regional government of Bouarfa found a solution to the problem which is called the Plan du Désert. The regional government is currently helping the Atlantsian and Chinese governments with their desert problems.

Politics
Saremia is a federal parliamentary constitutional monarchy, in which King Mustafa I is head of state, head of the federal government and head of the Royal Cabinet. For any change in the constitution, a referendum is mandatory; for any change in a law, a referendum can be requested. Through referenda, citizens may challenge any law voted by a regional parliament or by the Royal Cabinet and through initiatives introduce amendments to the national constitution.

Administrative divisions
The 7 regions of Saremia are the member states of the Federal Kingdom of Saremia. Each region was a fully sovereign state with its own borders, army and currency before the French colonization of the territory. After the independence of Saremia, the regions united to form the Federal Kingdom of Saremia.

Government
Saremia has a strong democratic tradition, upheld through a parliamentary system within the context of a constitutional monarchy, the monarchy of Saremia being the foundation of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches. The Federal Government is composed of the Royal Cabinet as legislative and executive powers for federal matters.

Foreign relations
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Military
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Economy
Saremia has a service-based economy. In 2009, economic output was dominated by the service sector which accounted for 73.6% of GDP, followed by the industrial sector with 20.5% and agriculture accounting for 5.9% of GDP. According to 2004 data, 2.7% of the workforce were employed in agriculture, 32.8% by industry and 64.5% in services. The industrial sector is dominated by shipbuilding, food processing, pharmaceuticals, information technology, biochemical and timber industry. In 2010, Saremian exports were valued at $8.65 billion with $14.7 billion worth of imports. The largest trading partner is the European Union.

Saremia is one of Africa's most stable and prosperous nations, leading African nations in human development, competitiveness, globalization, economic freedom, but medium perception of corruption. It has a low economic inequality, as measured by the Gini index.

During the mid 1990s, Saremia's reputation as a role model for economic reform was strengthened when the reign of King Mustafa I deepened the economic reform initiated by his father. Growth in real GDP averaged 8% from 1996–2000, but fell to half that level in 2001 because of tight monetary policies (implemented to reduce the national dedbt) and because of lower export earnings. Saremia's economy has since recovered and has seen growth rates of 5–7% over the past several years.

Unemployment hovered at 8%–10% after the start of the economic slowdown in 2001, above the 7% average for the 1990s. Unemployment finally dipped to 7.8% in 2006, and continued to fall in 2011, averaging 5.4% in agust. Wages have risen faster than inflation as a result of higher productivity, boosting national living standards. The percentage of Saremians with per capita household incomes below the poverty line—defined as twice the cost of satisfying a person's minimal nutritional needs—fell from 45.1% in 1987 to 11.5% in 2009, according to government surveys.

Policy
Sound economic policies, maintained consistently since the 1980s, have contributed to steady economic growth in Saremia and have more than halved poverty rates. The reign of King Ahmed V has been marqued by many nationalisations because the economy is a fededral matter and King Mustafa I has continued in his father's steps by recently nationalised SolSar as a crown federal corporation. Saremia is strongly committed to free trade and has welcomed large amounts of foreign investment. Saremia has signed free trade agreements (FTAs) with a whole network of countries, including an FTA with the European Union that was signed in 2003 and implemented in January 2004.

Faced with an international economic downturn the government announced a $4 billion economic stimulus plan to spur employment and growth, and despite the global financial crisis, aimed for an expansion of between 2 percent and 3 percent of GDP for 2012. Saremia maintains one of the best credit ratings (S&P A+) in Africa.

Foreign trade
The main destinations for Saremian exports were the European Union, the Americas and Asia. Seen as shares of Saremia's export markets, 42% of exports went to the European Union, 30% to the Americas and 20% to Asia. Within Saremia's diversified network of trade relationships, its most important partner remained the European Union. Since the E.U.–Saremia Free Trade Agreement went into effect on 1 January 2004, E.U.-Saremian trade has increased by 154%. Total trade with the Americas also grew in 2006, expanding by 42%. The United States and Brazil were Saremia's main American trading partners. Total trade with Asia also grew significantly at nearly 31%. Trade with Korea and Japan grew significantly, but China remained Saremia's most important trading partner in Asia. Saremia is the world's 9th largest exporter of wine and the 5th largest producer. It is also an important agricultural producer and exports mainly to the European Union but also in the rest of Africa.

Finance
Most of Saremia's financial institutions are state owned and governed and 100% of banking assets are state owned. The chief instruments of financial and fiscal control are the Banque Royale du Peuple (BRP) and the Ministry of Finance, both under the authority of the Federal Government of Saremia. BRP gradually took over private banks. It fulfills many of the functions of other central and commercial banks. It issues the currency, controls circulation, and plays an important role in disbursing budgetary expenditures. Additionally, it administers the accounts, payments, and receipts of government organizations and other bodies, which enables it to exert thorough supervision over their financial and general performances in consideration to the government's economic plans. BRP is also responsible for international trade and other overseas transactions.

Tourism
Tourism dominates the Saremian service sector and accounts for up to 9% of Saremian GDP. Its positive effects are felt throughout the economy of Saremia in terms of increased business volume observed in retail business, processing industry orders and summer seasonal employment. The industry is considered an export business, because it significantly reduces the country's external trade imbalance. The most numerous are tourists from Germany, Spain, France, United Kingdom as well as other North African countries itself.

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Religion
Saremia is a country where freedom of religion and freedom of thought are guaranteed by virtue of the Saremian Constitution. The Federal Kingdom of Saremia is based on the principle of laïcité (or "freedom of conscience") enforced by the 1880's Jules Ferry laws and the 1919 Saremian law on the Separation of Religions and the State. Islam, the religion of a majority of Saremian people, is no longer considered a state religion, as it was before World War I.

Ethnic groups
Saremians are predominantly Sunni Muslims of Arab, French, or mixed Arab-French ancestry. The Arabs brought Islam, along with Arabic language and culture, to the region from the Arabian Peninsula during the Muslim conquests of the 7th century. Today, a small Danish community remains as well as a large Christian population; both enjoy religious freedom and full civil rights.