Group+16-+Information

__**Full Name:**__ **Le Blac (le-blachhh)**


 * __Abbreviated:__ LB**


 * __National Pledge__: Le Blac was founded as a communist country in 1850 shortly after //The Communist Manifesto// was published. The government violently put down many revolts through out its history. Many of the revolutionaries had to flee to Greece in order to stay alive and many were publicly executed. Eventually though the government, after spending to much money on the military, went bankrupt and could no longer protect its borders. Revolutionaries came flooding in and the Titanomachy Revolt began. Beginning in 1994 the revolution held much of the country except the capitol and surrounding area. Years of small income and bankruptcy were starting to affect the government, especially since the current dictator,Vladmir Lauren, was used to lavish parties and huge mansions. The army eventually pledged allegiance to the Revolution and then took the capitol, then called Le Blac City. The Revolutionaries then set up a Limited Monarchy with Queen Caroline, King Bo, Queen Andrea, and King Lucas as the monarchs.**

Pledge of Le Blac Audio


 * __Pledge:__ I hereby pledge my solemn declaration, fidelity, and approbation to King Bo, Lady Andrea, Queen Caroline, and Lord Lucas, honorable rulers of my beautiful country, Le Blac. With all citizens for justice to the people and deliverance with respect of sovereignty to the Monarch, I accede to stand united with my brothers, sisters, and monarch against all negative forces, together as one by the power of God__.__**


 * __National Flower:__ Triumph Tulip**


 * __National Bird__: Phoenix**


 * __National Tree__: Pomegranate Tree**


 * __National Color:__ Gold Red **


 * DUE MARCH 3RD- 10 POINTS**



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The size of Le Blac is roughly the same size as South Carolina. Its climate is that of a typical Mediterranean Island although the south is a very arid desert and the north is mountainous. The middle section of Le Blac is very tropical though, almost like Florida and has many rain forests. =====

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Le Blac is a leading exporter of pomegranates and other types of fruits as well as many types of fish. Le Blac also exports wood from the mountains but because of the exceptional environmental agencies the export is limited to only one million Blac Dollars a year or about the same as 1.5 million US Dollars. Many farms are located in the northern part of Le Blac and in the valleys they grow much cotton which is also a very small export. The climate in the middle region is also much like that in Tuscany and Le Blac is a producer of fine wines. The wine and fruit exports bring in most of the income for the government. =====

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Le Blac is home to many environmental protection agencies and as a result they do not have to many environmental issues. Le Blac does suffer from climate change though as the desserts are expanding slowly each year. The climate change has also started to affect the vineyards too, with grape season being shortened ever so slowly. Le Blac also has high smog in most of the major cities because the Metroris [public transportation] is one of the worst in the European Union right now. King Lucas has made it a personal initiative to improve the Metroris though and is has seen a steady incline in usage over the past few months. =====
 * DUE MARCH 3RD- 20 POINTS**

45% of people live in urban areas Religion(s)- The people of Le Blac are typically Christian (85%) and have a strong belief in God. However, a very small percentage of the people are Buddhist and that is where we get part of our language from, Sanskrit.
 * Total Population**: 650,000
 * Average Age**: 25
 * Nationality:** Le Blacians
 * Languages:** Le Blacians speak a mixture of Sanskrit and Russian, but which uses letters of the English language. It is called Rappanussion and it sounds very beautiful. "Hello" in Rappanussion is Sambodhana, and "goodbye" in Rappanussion is "Alleshpeckank".
 * Traditional dress/clothing**- The traditional clothing for a male of Le Blac is a pair of gold pants, a red button down shirt, with a gold belt, and gold shoes, these colors were chosen because they represent our flag. The traditional clothing for a female is a red and gold plaid dress with gold shoes, once again these colors were chosen to represent our flag and country's colors.The Kings and Queens wear the same type of clothing but what sets them apart are their four unique crowns. King Lucas’ is a plain 14 karat gold studded with 100 rubies. One of which is the largest in the world. Queen Caroline’s is three Triumph Tulips intertwined; with stems of gold and flowers made of diamonds. King Bo’s is in the shape of a phoenix with eyes of peridots and a body made of ruby. Queen Andrea’s is a pomegranate tree with fruits of opal and the tree is golden.
 * Traditional Food:** Le Blacians have plenty of varieties of food. Le Blac however is known for their pomegranate pies. Many Le Blacians also eat a type of french toast that is dipped in creme brulee batter and then topped with a strawberry mixture that is similar to a smoothie. Then real strawberries are scattered across the top and whipped cream is spread around the edge.




 * Holidays:** Liberation Day is the announced day of Le Blac's freedom from Vladmir Lauren. We declared independence on April 9th, 2000. This Holiday has been celebrated for the past eleven years. Celebrations include 5 days of re-enactments of the most important battles fought in the revolution, speeches given by the royalty, and free concerts hosted by the Kings and Queens. Last years concerts included Lady Gaga, Wiz Khalifa, 3oh!3, and The Black Eyed Peas. We have another unique holiday called People's Day where we celebrate the rights of citizens of Le Blac. Celebrations include a massive parade in the capitol, 12 plays written by three playwrights, and the reading of The Bill of Human Rights. The celebration is broadcast on the news and 95% of the population watched it last year. Most of out other holidays are the standard, Christmas, Easter, Valentine's Day and such.


 * Cultural Norms, Customs, and Taboos (must have at least 2 of each)-** In our culture it is a custom for us to bow when greeting someone. We believe it is a sign of great respect and it has been known that this is what has started many family feuds. A custom that many tourists find strange is our custom of spring cleaning. We take all our old, unwanted, or unused items and throw them into the street. We believe that this will help drive away bad luck and it is also a good excuse to redecorate! A norm of our culture is to attend the symphony-orchestra of your town every Sunday after church. Many people do this and as a result our children grow up not only listening to modern, contemporary music but also the classics of the Baroque period. We also have a norm of flying the flag of Le Blac all day, every day to show our pride in our country and to show the unity of our citizens. Taboos include: farting in public, not eating a host's meal, sending out invitations to a party less than 30 days ahead, and wearing a brown belt with black shoes or vice versa.


 * DUE MARCH 17TH- 20 POINTS**

__**GDP:**__ $10.22 billion dollars //(2009 est.)// __**GDP per capita:**__ $27,200 //(2010 est.)// $26,500 //(2009 est.)// $24,300 //(2008 est.)// **__GDP growth rate:__** Our GDP in Le Blac is growing slowly but better than ever before. This is because of the recent "motivation revolution" as we like to call it. The leaders of Le Blac have been working harder than ever to motivate people to work hard in order to become successful. Our goal is to eliminate slums and ensure that money flows everywhere, while also boosting the rich. __**Labor force by occupation:**__ Le Blac's labor force consists of 41% agricultural, 26% service, and 33% industrial. Le Blacians make use of our abundant, beautiful farmland, which is of excellent quality. __** Unemployment rate: **__ 9.3%. Our unemployment really went high when the Great Recession started. Major lay-offs were a common occurrence but today our economy is slowly coming out of the Recession. __**% population below the poverty line**__: currently we have about 18% of the population below the poverty line. __** Income distribution: **__ The income distribution for Le Blac is unequal. The upper class earn 55% of all the income, middle class 30% and teh lower class earns 15% of all the income. __**Inflation rate:**__ (compare to previous two years): 5.5% //(2010 est.)// 7.6% //(2009 est.)// 9.3% //(2008 est.)// __**Exchange rate to US dollar**__: 1 US dollar is equal to 5 Le Blacian Freedom Bills. __**Agricultural products:**__ (must have at least 3—must coincide with geography) Our main agricultural products are grapes, cotton, and pomegranates
 * __Economic System:__** Under Le Blac's Bill of Human Rights //(compare to US Constitution)// we have a very free economic system. We have many small businesses owned by our people and some large corporations such as, The King's Travel Agency. Some people though view our country as having a socialistic economic system since the monarchs do own large amounts of stock. Our stock market is located in Liberation City on Investor's Street. We have high unemployment and our traveling industry is taking a huge hit.
 * __ Name of currency: __** Le Blac has no paper currency instead we use credit/debit cards but we still call them Freedom Bills.

**__Industries:__** (must have at least 3—must coincide with natural resources) Our main industries are fish processing, wooden ship building, and the textile industry. __**Major exports:**__ (must have at least 3— Le Blac is a huge cotton exporter, as well as olive oil and pharmaceuticals. __**Major imports:**__ (must have at least 5)- Le Blac has a limited supply of fresh water and imports fresh water from its neighbor Italy, it also imports gas, steel, cars, and aircraft. __**Main trading partners:**__ (must coincide with what you are exporting and importing)

//**Remember to add some multimedia in too!!!! -bo**//


 * DUE APRIL 10TH- 100 POINTS**

__**Government type:**__ Limited Monarchy (must match economic system) Le Blac federal power distribution. While the monarchs and nobles have most the power the people and individual parish governments also control things within their boundaries like roads, city parks, and urban development. Estonia Parish Imeos Parish Gaga Parish Grindelwald Parish Lodius Parish Irzia Parish Dracula Parish
 * Unitary or Federal power distribution?
 * Parliamentary or Presidential?
 * __Subdivisions of Power:__** We have seven parishes that are named after the seven Lords and Ladies of the noble court.(i.e. States/Providences/Parish)?

__**Branches of Government:**__ //__Executive:__// We have no elections for our kings only for nobles. The elections for nobles are held on April 9 every four years. The Royal Chief of Police is elected on February 17 every two years. The local Police Chief's elections are decided by the people of the parish but they also serve only two years. The elected positions are chosen by direct vote. Meaning there is no electoral college like the US. The canidate must get a majority of the country's votes and usually the most votes come from the Gaga parish since they are the most patriotic. The Council of Elders //(compare to the US Cabinet)// is an appointed body of advisors to the Kings and Queens. Each monarch gets to appoint two Elders and they are then approved by the Noble Court then two are appointed by the people.
 * __Current Government:__** The current government was established in 2001. At first, the four Kings and Queens had all of the power. However, the people demanded more representation. So, nobles were elected to the newly formed Noble Court. The nobles serve for four years and are replaced every four years.
 * __Legal System:__** The way we enforce our laws are as follows, each of the seven parishes has a local police force that helps to enforce not only the national laws but also the local laws. The Royal Police force enforces national law and has special permission to protect the rights of the people no matter what. The Royal Police force is lead by an elected Police Chief and really has nothing to do with the Kings and Queens. The local police force are also lead by an elected Chief of Police.

Elder Beckett- Ministry of Education Elder Barbosa- Ministry of Defense Elder Swan- Ministry of State Elder Jones- Ministry of Energy Elder Sparrow- Ministry of the Treasury Elder Turner- Ministry of Agriculture Elder Thompson- Ministry of Clandestine Services Elder Germanotta- Ministry of Justice Elder Snape- Ministry of Maytrs Elder Renee- Ministry of Health

The current political party in power is the Bhakti Party //(compare to the Democratic Party)// and their main goal is to get Le Blac off foreign oil and start innovating and preparing for the future. //__Legislative:__// The legislative body is a unicameral body consisting of the seven nobles of the Noble Court. As previously stated they are elected every four years and meet in Liberation City in the Noble Court Building. The building is also used for a shelter in national emergencies or natural disasters. Tours are conducted every Saturday and Sunday starting at nine o'clock and going until four p.m. The Bhakti Party also controls the Noble Court with 4 members being Bhakti and 3 being part of the Liberation Party //(compare to Republican Party of US)//.

//__Judicial:__// The Royal Court of Le Blac is located in LIberation City in the Justice Building and is the highest court of the nation. There are then Parish Courts located in the biggest city of the parish and then smaller Township Courts which are located in each town. Every person accused has the right to a lawyer, jury, and a fair judge. We believe in "innocent until proven guilty" in Le Blac and provide state lawyers if the accused can not afford one. Le Blac has no jails instead rehabilitation centers which operate under the belief that criminals do not benefit from harsh conditions or mean and sometimes abusive guards but instead need a nurturing, loving environment that helps them get through their problems. The nine High Justices of the Royal Court are appointed by the Noble Court but approved by the people by a vote. If one of the Justices fail to be approved then the Noble Court must find a new Justice to appoint. The Royal Justice is appointed by the monarchs and is in charge of the Royal Court of Le Blac.

__**Political Parties**__ Le Blac has two main parties, the Bhakti and the Liberation Party. We have many other political parties but these have the largest member base.


 * DUE APRIL 21ST - 100 POINTS**

//Revenue:// 3.5 billion //Expenditures:// 2.1 billion //Sales Tax:// 1.1 billion //Income Tax:// 1.5 billion //Excise Tax:// .1 billion //Mandatory:// 1. Infastructure 2. Ministry of Defense 3. Ministry of Health 4. Ministry of Energy 5. Ministry of Education //Discretionary:// 1. Ministry of Clandestine Services 2. Ministry of State 3. Ministry of Matyrs 4. Ministry of Agriculture 5. Ministry of Justice
 * __Budget:__** 5.6 Billion dollars
 * Express all in dollars
 * __Tax Revenue__**: Accounts for 45% of all income of Le Blac. The other 55% is generated through tourism.
 * __Spending:__**


 * DUE MAY 13th- 50 POINTS**



1) Every Le Blacian has the right to the pursuit of love and happiness as they themselves as individuals may see it. 2) Every Le Blacian has the right to bear arms, ONLY for the legal purpose of self defense in the case of any danger. 3) On Tax Day every year, every Le Blacian must make an agricultural contribution, such as cotton, to the national supply. The national supply is used solely for exports to other countries. 4) Le Blacians are permitted to have no more than 4 children per family, in order to keep the country from getting too crowded. 5) Le Blacians are subject (no exceptions) to harsh punishment for violating rules put in place to protect the environment of Le Blac. Le Blac is to stay a role model for other countries in terms of clean air, land, and bodies of water. 6) Military drafts are not permissible in any forms. 7) Every Le Blac has the right to speak out on views and issues, and in this they have the ability to elect nobles, but the royal kings and queens always have final rule. 8) Every Le Blacian must own at least one Blac Spaniel, the national dog. 9) Every Le Blacian has the right to their religion of choice. 10) Le Blacian is a Pro-Choice country in terms of abortion.

*Must have at least 2—one political and one economic. Be sure to thoroughly explain the issue and the reasons for your country's position.
 * DUE MAY 13th- 50 POINTS**


 * OPTIONAL ASSIGNMENT ( NOT EXTRA CREDIT) WILL COUNT AS GRADE IF DONE**
 * DUE MAY 16th- 30 POINTS**


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