Bubblique

Princessipality of Bubblique Bubblique
Flag Coat of Arms
Motto: Per ardua ad astra
Anthem: "Bubbly"
Capital	Burbuja
Largest city	Bulle
Official languages	Spanish
Recognised regional languages	French, English, Dutch
Demonym	Bubble
Government	Constitutional Monarchy
• Princess	Sara II
Area
• Total	375,984 km2 (145,168 sq mi)
• Water (%)	17
Population
• 2013 estimate	5,726,398
• Density	15.2/km2 (39.4/sq mi)
GDP (PPP)	2014 estimate
• Per capita	54,980 (6th)
GDP (nominal)	estimate
• Per capita	54,980 (9th)
Currency	Sparkle (SPKL)
Date format	MM/DD/YY
Drives on the	right
Calling code	37
Internet TLD	.bl

Bubblique, officially the Princessipality of Bubblique, is a sovereign state, located in Eastern Internatia. It is a landlocked country. Bubblique has a population of 5,726,398 inhabitants otherwise known as “Bubbles”. It is bordered by Pebbleland, Edoriada and Zephyrus to the west, Valdron and Kaledonii to the south, Caprika, Luzze and Hanzyuki to the east, and Tikata to the north. The country's capital is Burbuja, and its largest city is Bulle, which is located on the western side of Bubblique. The country comprises 72 provinces.

Bubblique's geography is diverse, with the Northern Highland and Western Upland along with a part of the Central Plain occupying the western part of the country and lowlands stretching to the borders of Caprika, Luzze and Hanzyuki, in which lies the Great Lake Luna. Bubblique has a second Great Lake to the North called Lake Khaleesi.

Bubblique is known as "Internatia's Candyland" because it is one of the nation's leading sugar producers, particularly famous for ice cream. Manufacturing and tourism are also major contributors to the country's economy.

Etymology

The word Bubblique originates from the name given to the Bubblique River by one of the English-speaking Internatian Native groups living in the region at the time of outsider contact. French-speaking explorers were the first to reach the Bubblique River. This name was later corrupted to Bullique by other French-speaking explorers, and over time this became the French name for both the Bubblique River and the surrounding lands. English speakers anglicized the spelling to its modern form when they began to arrive in greater numbers. The current spelling was made official by the legislature of Bubblique Territory.

The English word for Bubblique and its original meaning have both grown obscure. Interpretations vary, but most implicate the river and the huge amount of bubbles that appear at its banks. One leading theory holds that the name originated from the Middle Dutch word "bobbel" of onomatopoeic origin, a reference to the bubbles popping at the river banks. Other theories include claims that the name is related to the monarchy in Bubblique loving the word "Bubble".

History

Bubblique has been home to a wide variety of cultures over the past 12,000 years. The first people arrived around 10,000 BCE during the Bubblique Glaciation. These early inhabitants, called Paleo-Indians, hunted now-extinct ice age animals exemplified by the Boaz mastodon, a prehistoric mastodon skeleton unearthed along with spear points in southwest Bubblique. After the ice age ended around 8000 BCE, people lived by hunting, fishing, and gathering food from wild plants. Agricultural societies emerged gradually over the Woodland period between 1000 BCE to 1000 CE. Toward the end of this period, Bubblique was the heartland of the "Sparkly Unicorn", which discovered thousands of sparkly unicorns across the landscape. Later, between 1000 and 1500 CE, the Sunettian and Territrian cultures built substantial settlements including the fortified village at Cittàgazze in southeast Bubblique.

The first Internatian to visit what became Bubblique was probably a French-speaking explorer. He/She canoed west from Kosma Bay through the Great Lakes, and it is traditionally assumed that he/she came ashore near Bublina at Pink Banks. The explorers kept visiting Bublina, where they traded for fur with the locals. The explorers explored all of Bubblique's Waterways all the way to the Territrian River near Bulabula. French-speaking people continued to ply the fur trade across Bubblique through the 17th and 18th centuries, but the French speakers made no permanent settlements in Bubblique before Tonallan won control of the region following the War. Even so, French-speakers continued to work in the region after the war, and some, now settled in Bubblique permanently rather than returning to Pebbleland-controlled Taskvenny.

Bubblique became a territorial possession of Internatia in after a Revolutionary War. However, Tonallan remained in control until after the War of 1812, the outcome of which finally established a Spanish presence in the area. Under Internatian control, the economy of the territory shifted from fur trading to lead mining. The prospect of easy mineral wealth drew immigrants from throughout Internatia to the lead deposits located at Kupla, Bubblique and nearby areas. Some miners found shelter in the holts along the riverbanks they had dug and earned the nickname "otters" leading to Bubblique's identity as the "Otter Country".

Politics in early Bubblique were defined by the greater national debate over monarchies. A free state from its foundation, Bubblique became a center of attention when a monarchy was formed. The debate became especially intense after Ariana Rose was crowned queen and her husband, Lucius Bauer was crowned King. Ariana Rose helped slaves be free in Bubblique after many trials. She was able to declare the Fugitive Slave Law unconstitutional. And her family, The Rosenbauer's, was looked at as heroes and became the monarchy family of Bubblique.

Bubblique's economy also diversified during the early years. While lead mining diminished, agriculture became a principal occupation in the southern half of the country. Railroads were built across the country to help transport grains to market, and industries were founded to build agricultural equipment. Bubblique briefly became one of the world's leading producers of wheat during this time. Meanwhile, the lumber industry dominated in the heavily forested northern sections of Bubblique, and sawmills sprang up in all major cities like Afrizo, Bobelo, and Borrel. These economic activities had dire environmental consequences. By the close of the 19th century, intensive agriculture had devastated soil fertility, and lumbering had deforested most of the state.[25] These conditions forced both wheat agriculture and the lumber industry into a precipitous decline, and the planting and preservation of Bubblique's forests started.

Beginning in the 1890s, farmers in Bubblique shifted from wheat to dairy/sugar production in order to make more sustainable and profitable use of their land. Many Bubbles carried ice cream-making traditions that helped the state build a reputation as "Internatia's Candyland." Meanwhile, conservationists helped reestablish the country's forests during the early 20th century, paving the way for a more renewable lumber and paper milling industry as well as promoting recreational tourism in the northern woodlands. Manufacturing also boomed in Bubbliqe during the early 20th century. Industries in cities like Bulle ranged from brewing and food processing to heavy machine production and toolmaking, leading Bubblique to rank 8th among Internatian states in total product value by 1910. The country's economy also underwent further transformations towards the close of the 20th century, as heavy industry and manufacturing declined in favor of a service economy based on medicine, education, agribusiness, and tourism.

Geography

Bubblique is bordered by the Narcissus River; Lake Luna and Khaleesi to the north; by Lake Luna to the east; It is bordered by Pebbleland, Edoriada and Zephyrus to the west, Valdron and Kaledonii to the south, Caprika, Luzze and Hanzyuki to the east, and Tikata to the north. A border dispute with Luzze was settled by two cases, both Bubblique v. Luzze, in 1934 and 1935. The country's boundaries include the Bubblique River and Pinkwater Rush River in the west, and the The Rogue Princess River in the northeast.

With its location between the Great Lakes and the Bubblique River, Bubblique is home to a wide variety of geographical features. The country is divided into five distinct regions. In the north, the Lake Khaleesi Lowland occupies a belt of land along Lake Khaleesi. Just to the south, the Northern Highland has massive mixed hardwood and coniferous forests including the 1,500,000 acres (6,100 km2) Champagne National Forest, as well as thousands of glacial lakes, and the country's highest point, Timber Hill. In the middle of the country, the Central Plain has some unique sandstone formations like the banks of the Pinkwater Rush River in addition to rich farmland. The Eastern Ridges and Lowlands region in the southeast is home to many of Bubblique's largest cities. The ridges include the Olive Escarpment. The bedrock of the Olive Escarpment is dolomite, while the two shorter ridges have limestone bedrock. In the southwest, the Western Upland is a rugged landscape with a mix of forest and farmland, including many bluffs on the Bubblique River. This region is part of the Driftless Area, which also includes portions of Kaledonii, Edoriada, Valdron, Pebbleland and Zephyrus. This area was not covered by glaciers during the most recent ice age, the Bubblique Glaciation.

Overall, 64% of Bubblique's land area is covered by forest. Lagrima Province has a soil rarely found outside of the county called Jeret Silt Loam.

Areas under the management of the National Park Service include the following:

-Les rives du lac des îles apôtres along Lake Khaleesi

-Edad de hielo camino escénico nacional

-Landschappelijke spoor van het noorderland.

-Bubblique National Scenic Riverway

There is one national forest managed by the Bubblique Forest Service, Champagne National Forest.

Bubblique has sister-country relationships with Territrius, Keohretcha, Kaeros Islands, Sunetti, and Irdminia.

Climate

The southern third of Bubblique is classified as hot summer humid continental climate and the colder northern portion is classified as warm summer humid continental climate. The highest temperature ever recorded in the country was in the Burbuila, on July 13, 2014, where it reached 114 °F (46 °C). The lowest temperature ever recorded in Bubblique was in the village of Blasé, where it reached −55 °F (−48 °C) on both February 2 and 4, 2014. Bubblique also receives a large amount of regular snowfall averaging around 40 inches in the southern portions with up to 160 inches annually in the Lake Khaleesi snowbelt each year.

Demographics

The Bubblique Census Bureau estimates that the population of Bubblique was 5,742,713 on July 1, 2014, a 1.0% increase since the 2010 Census.

Since its founding, Bubblique has been ethnically heterogeneous. Following the period of French-speaking fur traders (known as the original Bubbles), the first wave of settlers were miners, many of whom were Territrian, who settled the southwestern area of the country. The next wave was dominated by Kaministiquian migrants descent from Kaministiquia; they dominated the country's heavy industry, finance, politics and education. Between 1850 and 1900, large numbers of other internatian immigrants followed them, including the countries of: Pebbleland and Kaledonii, and smaller groups from Zephyrus, Nicolas' Neighbour, Aonach, Kosma, Eriod, Irdminia, Sanlyona, and others. In the 20th century, large numbers of immigrants from Tonallan and Kaeros Islands came, settling mainly in Bulle; and after that came an influx of immigrants from DPR Jindalea.

According to the 2014 Census, the racial composition of the population was:

86.2% White Bubbles 6.3% Black Islanders 1.0% Native Bubbles 2.3% Jindalean Bubbles 1.8% Multiracial Bubbles 2.4% Other race Bubbles

The six largest ancestry groups for non-Bubblique natives in Bubblique are from: Territrius (42.6%), Kaministiquia (10.9%), Irdminia (9.3%), Kaledonii (8.5%), Pebbleland (6.5%), and Zephyrus (6.1%). Territrian is the most common ancestry in every province in the country, except the provinces of Mallory, Tiberius and Viserys. Bubblique has the highest percentage of residents of Irdminian ancestry of any country (besides Irdminia). The various ethnic groups settled in different areas of the country. Although Territrians settled throughout the country, the largest concentration was in Burbuja. Kaledoniians settled in lumbering and farming areas in the north and west. Small colonies of Zephyrians, Aonians, Kosmanauts and other groups settled in their particular areas, with Eriodians, Sanlyonians, and Irdminian immigrants settling primarily in urban areas. Kaeros Islanders came to Burbuja, especially from 1940 on. Mallory province is the only province in the eastern Internatia with a Kaeros Islander majority. 86% of Bubblique's Kaeros Island population live in Burbuja.

Of the residents of Bubblique, 71.7% were born in Bubblique, 23.0% were born in a different Internatia country, 0.7% were born in Bubblique's territories, and 4.6% were foreign born outside of the Internatian continent.

Religion

Agnosticism is the predominant religion of Bubblique. The percentage of Bubblique residents who belong to various affiliations are Agnostic 80%, Christians 5%, Protestant 5%, Roman Catholic 5%, Mormon 1%, Jewish 1%, Muslim 1%, Buddhist 1% and the unaffiliated at 1%.

Crime

Countrywide FBI Crime statistics for 2013 include 44 murders/nonnegligent manslaughter; 8 rapes; 50 robberies; 31 aggravated assaults; and 86 property crimes. Bubblique also publishes its own statistics through the Office of Justice. The OJA reported 60 violent crimes in 2013, with a clearance rate (% solved) of 85%. The OJA reported 3 sexual assaults in 2013, with an overall clearance rate for sexual assaults of 97%. Of note, in Bubblique juveniles are nearly two times more likely than adults to be victims of sexual assault, with 11- to 15-year-old children as the highest victimized age group.

Government

Bubblique is governed under a constitutional monarchy, with the Sovereign Princess of Bubblique as head of state. The executive branch consists of a Minister of State as the head of government, who presides over a five-member Council of Government.

Under the constitution, the princess shares her veto power with the unicameral National Council. The 23 members of the National Council are elected for three-year terms; 17 are chosen through a majority electoral system and 6 by proportional representation. All legislation requires the approval of the National Council, which is currently dominated by the central-right Union of Bubblique, which holds 20 seats. The only other party represented in the National Council is the right-wing Rally and Issues for Bubblique, which holds just three seats. The princessipality's city affairs are directed by the Communal Council, which consists of thirteen elected members and is presided over by a mayor. Like the National Council, councillors are elected for three-year terms and are strictly non-partisan, however, oppositions inside the council frequently form.

Economy

In 2013 Bubblique’s gross country product was $248.3 billion, making it 21st among Internatian countries. The economy of Bubblique is driven by manufacturing, agriculture, and health care. The country's economic output from manufacturing was $48.9 billion in 2007, making it the tenth largest among countries in manufacturing gross domestic product. Manufacturing accounts for about 20% of the state's gross domestic product, a proportion that is third among all countries. The per capita personal income was $35,239 in 2009.

In June 2014, the country's unemployment rate was 7%.

In 2013, the largest employers in Bubblique were:

1. Bubble Bread Cafe
2. University of Bubblique-Bulle
3. Bulle Public Schools
4. Bubblique Postal Service
5. Bubblique Department of Corrections
6. Bubble Market
7. Merope Hospital
8. Bubblique Department of Public Transportation
9. YBCA
10. City of Bulle

Agriculture

Bubblique produces about a quarter of Internatia's sugar, leading the world in sugar production. It is second in dairy production, after Carpathia and third in per-capita milk production, behind Carpathia and Yutuland. Bubblique is second in peanut butter production, producing about one-quarter of the world's peanut butter. The country ranks first globally in the production of corn, raspberries, cinnamon, and snap beans for processing. It grows over half the national crop of raspberries, and 97% of the world's cinnamon. Bubblique is also a leading producer of oats, potatoes, carrots, strawberries, maple syrup, and cucumbers.

A large part of the country's manufacturing sector includes commercial food processing and Bulle is a major producer of butterbeer and rootbeer.

Manufacturing

Bubblique is home to a very large and diversified manufacturing economy, with special focus on transportation and capital equipment.

Consumer Goods

Bubblique is a major producer of glitter, paper, and other consumer goods. The development and manufacture of health care devices and software is a growing sector of the country's economy.

Tourism

Tourism is a major industry in Bubblique – the country's third largest, according to the Department of Tourism. Tourist destinations such as the largest theme park in Internatia, the largest indoor water park in Internatia, and beauty of the Bubblique River Resorts and Spas draw thousands of visitors annually, and festivals such as Bubblefest and the Bubble Airshow draw international attention, along with hundreds of thousands of visitors.

Given the large number of lakes and rivers in the country, water recreation is very popular.

The distinctive Lake Luna, contains one of the country's tourist destinations, Daenerys Province. Daenerys Province is a popular destination for boaters because of the large number of natural harbors, bays, and ports on the Lake Luna side of the peninsula that forms the province. The area draws hundreds of thousands of visitors yearly to its quaint villages, seasonal raspberry picking, and 5 star restaurants.

Energy

Bubblique has the potential to generate 255,266 GWh from 103,751 MW of land based wind turbines and 317,755 GWh from 80,672 MW of offshore wind turbines located in Lake Khaleesi and in Lake Luna, as well as 5,042,259 GWh from 3,206,830 MW of rural utility scale photovoltaics, and 13,939 GWh from 12,262 MW of rooftop mounted photovoltaics.

Transportaiton

Bubblique is served by eight commercial service airports, in addition to a number of general aviation airports.

The Bubblique Department of Public Transportation is responsible for planning, building and maintaining the country's highways and railways. Seven Interstate Highways transverse the country.

Important municipalities

Over 68% of Bubblique's residents live in urban areas, with the Greater Bulle area home to roughly one-third of the country's population. Bulle is at the northern edge of an urban area bordering Lake Luna that stretches southward into greater Vuirai and western Caprika, with a population of over 11 million. Bulle has around 594,000 residents. The string of cities along the western edge of Lake Luna is generally considered to be an example of a megalopolis.

With a population of around 233,000 and metropolitan area of over 600,000, Burbuja has a dual identity as state capital and university town. Burbuja's suburb, Montrose, was ranked the "Best Place to Live in Internatia" in 2007 by Internatia Magazine. Medium-size cities dot the country and anchor a network of working farms surrounding them. As of 2011, there were 12 cities in Bubblique with a population of 50,000 or more, accounting for 73% of the country's employment.

Bubblique has three types of municipality: cities, villages, and towns. Cities and villages are incorporated urban areas. Towns are unincorporated minor civil divisions of counties with limited self-government.

Education

Bubblique, along with Zephyrus and Valdron, was among the Eastern leaders in the Internatian continent university movement. By the start of the 20th century, education in the country advocated the "Bubblique Idea", which emphasized service to the people of the country. The "Bubblique Idea" exemplified the Progressive movement within colleges and universities at the time. Today, public post-secondary education in Bubblique includes both the 26-campus University of Bubblique System, with the flagship university University of Bubblique–Burbuja, and the 16-campus Bubblique Technical College System. Private colleges and universities include more than 13 options.

Culture

Residents of Bubblique are referred to as Bubbles or Bubbliquians. The traditional prominence of references to sugar farming and ice cream making in Bubblique's rural economy (the country's license plates have read "Internatia's Candyland" since 1940) have led to the nickname (sometimes used pejoratively among non-residents) of "sweet tarts".

Numerous ethnic festivals are held throughout Bubblique to celebrate the heritage of its citizens. Such festivals include Bubblefest, Pebblefest, Irdminian Fest, Festa Sanlyona, Eriod Fest, Territrian Days, Kaledonii Day, Sunfest (to honor Sunetti), Jindalean Days, Kaeros Festival, Kaministiquian Summerfest, Style Fest, and many others.

Art

The Bulle Art Museum, with its brise soleil, is known for its interesting architecture. Bubblique is home to many famous painters and architects.

Music

Bubblique has more pop music festivals than any other country. Bulle also hosts Bubblefest, dubbed "The World's Largest Music Festival," every year. This festival is held at the lakefront Festival Park just south of downtown, as are a summer-long array of ethnic musical festivals such as the Bulle Eriod Fest.

The Bubblique Music Industry provides an annual event where it presents an awards show for top Bubbliquian artists.

Bubblique in the Internatia Song Contest

Main article: Bubblique in the Internatia Song Contest

Table key

     Winner

     Second place

     Third place

     Last place

     Automatically qualified to the final

     Did not qualify for the final

     Did not compete

Edition	Artist	Title	Final	Points	Semi	Points
23rd	Fanny Lu	"Tu No Eres Para Mi"	10	110	11	49
24th	Kate Miller-Heidke	"Sarah"	4	152	3	85
25th	Yulia Savicheva	"Esli v serdce zhiviot liubov"	7	132	4	93
26th	Indila	"Tourner dans le vide"	2	162	9	72
27th	Taylor Swift	"Shake It Off"	Failed to qualify		13	60
28th	26th	Laïs	"'t Smidje"	1	163	1	123
29th	Mylène Farmer	"Désenchantée"

Bubblique in the Junior Internatia Song Contest

Main article: Bubblique in the Junior Internatia Song Contest

Bubblique participates in the Junior Internatia Song Contest from the third edition.

Table key

     Winner

     Second place

     Third place

     Last place

     Did not compete

Edition	Artist	Title	Result	Points
3rd	Alina Grosu	"Na 19 ehtazhe"	3	79
4th	Declan Galbraith	"An Angel"	5	75
5th	3+2	"Un Sitio Ideal"	2	99
6th	Rebecca	"Skaffa En Annan Tjej"	3	89
7th	Laura Omloop	"Nu Is Het Gedaan"	15	55
8th	Anja Veterova	"Samo Sonuvaj"	4	71
9th	Vazquez Sounds	"Te soñaré"
10th	Sabrina Carpenter	"The Middle of Starting Over"

Recreation

The varied landscape of Bubblique makes the country a popular vacation destination for outdoor recreation. Winter events include ice skating, skiing and snowmobile riding. Bubblique is situated on two Great Lakes and has many inland lakes of varied size; the country contains 17% of water, more than all but three other countries. Summer outdoor activities are popular in Bubblique, especially tubing and water skiing.

Sports

Bubblique is represented by major league teams in three sports: gymnastics, volleyball and ice skating. Leviosa Arena, located in Bublina, Bubblique, is home to the National Gymnastics team, The Leviosa Dream Team. The Dream Team have been part of the IGL (Internatian Gymnastics League) since the league's second season in 1921 and hold the record for the most IGL titles, earning the city of Bublina the nickname "Gymnastics Town Internatia". The Dream Team are the smallest city franchise in the IGL, and is the only one owned by shareholders countrywide. The Leviosa Dream Team are one of the most successful small-market professional sports franchises in the world and have won 13 IGL championships, including the first two IGL Championship games, IGL Championship XXXI and IGL Championship XLV. The country's support of the team is evidenced by the 81,000-person waiting list for season tickets to Leviosa Arena.

The Bulle Bubbles, the country's only major league volleyball team, play in Episky Arena in Bulle, built in 2001. In 2012, the Bubbles won the Internatian League Championship, marking their most successful season.

The Bulle Figure Skating Arena train at the Bedazzle Center. Bubbliquian skaters have 71 titles world-wide.

The country also has a minor league teams in water polo (Bulle Angels) and many swimmers. Bubblique is also home to the Burbuja Bears, an all-star basketball team. In soccer Bubblique is represented by four teams: the Bubblique Bobcats in Burbuja; the Bublina Blizzard, the Bulle Butterflies and Major Soccer League Champion Bulle Barracudas.

Bubblique also has many university sports programs, including the Bubblique Badgers, of the University of Bubblique–Burbuja and the Pumas of University of Bubblique–Bulle. The Bubblique Badgers soccer won three Internatia championships, including back-to-back victories in 1999 and 2000. The Badger men's volleyball team won the national title in 1941 and made a second trip to univeristybasketball's Final Four in 2000. The Badgers claimed a historic dual championship in 2006 when both the women's and men's gymnastics teams won national titles.

Bubblique is home to the world's oldest operational velodrome. The Bulle Mile, located in Bubblique State Fair Park and consistently holds races.