|
|
Background:
|
Modern Iriand began to take
shape in 1890 when Great Britain took control of the eastern half of Treasure Island under the Treasure Island
Convention, although the entire island was still technically part of the Iriandian
Empire. When Iriand entered WWI
on the side of the Germans, Britain annexed the eastern portion of the
island. Iriand was stripped of their colonial holdings after their
defeat in the 1st World War. In 1930 Iriand
relinquished all rights to the eastern portion of the island and in 1935 Eastern Treasure Island was declared a Crown Colony. With the loss of their empire, Iriandian
leadership enacted wide ranging social, legal, and political reforms,
adopting a more progressive style of government. The loss of Eastern Treasure Island also caused Iriand to greatly restructure their military to a focus on
defense of the homeland, rather than projecting force to colonies
overseas. From 1955 to 1970, Iriand
assisted Eastern
Treasure Island in their struggle for independence, although most of this
support was covert, and Iriand was never openly involved in the
conflict. Iriand has acted as
the patron state of Syrdonia since the mid 1970s, due to the strong ethnic
and historic background between the two countries. Since 2000, Iriand has been
increasingly supporting Syrdonia both militarily and economically in its
efforts to reunite with Kurekstan, although it claims to remain neutral in
this conflict.
|
|
Climate:
|
hot, dry
summers with cool, somewhat less dry winters
|
|
Terrain:
|
desert,
mountains
|
|
Natural resources:
|
gold,
silver, barite, brucite, silica, diatomite, perlite, limestone, gypsum, gemstones, magnesite, clay, sand and gravel, cattle, alfalfa,
potatoes
|
|
Natural hazards:
|
flooding,
wildfires
|
|
Population:
|
25,961,013 (July 2005 est.)
|
|
Age structure:
|
0-18
years: 25.6% (male
3,646,018/female 3,000,001)
15-64 years: 63.4% (male 8,342,657/female 8,116,626)
65 years and over: 11.0 % (male 2,605,712 /female 3,005,711) (2005
est.)
|
|
Median age:
|
total: 27.7
years
male: 27.52 years
female: 27.89 years (2005 est.)
|
|
Population growth
rate:
|
1.09% (2005 est.)
|
|
Birth rate:
|
16.83 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)
|
|
Death rate:
|
5.96 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)
|
|
Infant mortality
rate:
|
total: 41.04
deaths/1,000 live births
male: 44.68 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 37.22 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
|
|
Life expectancy at
birth:
|
total population: 72.36 years
male: 69.94 years
female: 74.91 years (2005 est.)
|
|
Nationality:
|
noun: Iriandian(s)
adjective: Iriandian
|
|
Ethnic groups:
|
Iriandian 80%, Enano
20% (estimated)
|
|
Religions:
|
Enano
3.4%, Cholo 1.3%
Iriand is
officially an atheist country
|
|
Languages:
|
English, Spanish
|
|
Literacy:
|
definition: age
15 and over can read and write
total population: 86.5%
male: 94.3%
female: 78.7% (2003 est.)
|
|
Country name:
|
conventional
long form:
Democratic People’s Republic of Iriand
conventional short form: Iriand
|
|
Government type:
|
bicameral
representative socialism
|
|
Capital:
|
Fresno
|
|
Independence:
|
10 October 1523
|
|
National holiday:
|
Republic Day, (31 October 1930)
|
|
Constitution:
|
25 January 1931
|
|
Legal system:
|
based on
English common law, with large elements of Communist legal theory
|
|
Suffrage:
|
18 years of
age; universal
|
|
Executive branch:
|
chief of
state: President Juan
Jose VARGAS (since 25 July 2002)
head of government: Prime Minister John BRICENO (since 26 July 2002);
First
Deputy Prime Minister Rolando ARAYA (since 29 July 2002); Deputy
Prime Minister Emilia RODRIGUEZ (since 8 August 2004)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the Senate in consultation with the president
elections: president elected by the Grand National Assembly from
among its members for a five-year term; election last held 25 July 2002
(next to be held when National Assembly meets following legislative
elections in 2007); prime minister appointed by the president from among
the members of the National Assembly; deputy prime ministers appointed by
the prime minister
|
|
Legislative branch:
|
bicameral Senate(100 seats; seats are
hereditary) and Grand National Assembly of Iriand (250 seats; members are
elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
|
|
Judicial branch:
|
Supreme
Court (judges are appointed by the president and remain in office until
they reach the age of 65)
|
|
Flag description:
|
green,
with a 20-pointed gold star in the middle upon which is an eagle with
spread wings (also gold).
|
|
Military branches:
|
Iriandian
Armed Forces: Land Forces, Naval Forces (includes Naval Air and Marines),
Air Force
|
|
Military manpower -
military age and obligation:
|
18 years of
age (2004)
|
|
Military manpower -
availability:
|
males age 18-49: 8,254,872(2005 est.)
|
|
Military manpower -
fit for military service:
|
males age 18-49: 7,896,627 (2005 est.)
|
|
Military manpower -
reaching military age annually:
|
males:
292,589 (2005 est.)
|
|
Military
expenditures - dollar figure:
|
$10.13
billion (2003)
|
|
Military
expenditures - percent of GDP:
|
5.3% (2003)
|
|
Disputes -
international:
|
Iriand has
interests in the dispute between Syrdonia and Kurekstan, and acts upon these
interests by supplying Syrdonia with weapons and military training. Iriand ultimately believes that the
entire Treasure
Island is
rightfully Iriandian territory, on both historic and cultural grounds.
|
|
Illicit drugs:
|
used as a
transshipment country for cocaine headed for Europe and the US; some money-laundering activity;
domestic consumption of drugs in urban centers is increasing
|
This page was last updated on 06
March, 2008
|
