Eɴᴄʏᴄʟᴏᴘᴁᴅɪᴀ Sᴀʟɪᴀɴᴀ

Saltstead (/ˈsɒltstɛd, ˈsɔ(ː)lt-/; Saltsteadish: Såutsteid /ˈsɔːʔsteʔ/) is a nation located in northeastern Atlantian Oceania and the northernmost country in the archipelago of Cyanea.

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Etymology
The name Saltstead is a calque of the endonym Såutsteid, which itself derives from Old Saxon: såut derives from the Saxon salt and is cognate with the identical English word; the element steid derives from stedi, meaning “city” or “place”. The name references the salt mines that were the source of Saltstead’s historic wealth and fame.

Other Germanic languages likewise use calques such as Dutch Zoutstad and German Salzstadt, while Romance languages tend to use names derived from the Latin Salia, such as Gallic Selie. Greek uses the similarly-derived name Aleia (Άλεια).

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History

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Economy

Currency
The shilling (code: ZSH; Saltsteadish: sħillig), subdivided into 12 pence (Saltsteadish: pennigen). Per custom, the shilling and the Omerican florin (ƒ) have been pegged to each other at a rate of 8/4 to the florin or ƒ0.12 to the shilling. Since 2730, coins denominated in pence have been withdrawn from circulation, leaving all cash transactions to be rounded to the nearest shilling.

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Politics
Saltstead is governed as a democratic, parliamentary constitutional monarchy with universal suffrage. The Saltsteadish political system operates within the bounds of and derives its legitimacy from the Constitution, which regulates the powers of state institutions and the relationship between the state and the people; it is founded on the principles of responsible government, judicial independence and the rule of law and guarantees fundamental and universal human rights that cannot be infringed upon by the state.

Foreign relations
Saltstead maintains a pragmatic and largely pacifistic approach to foreign affairs, dominated by the goal of protecting Saltsteadish sovereignty. With the exception of Kryosis, Saltstead traditionally maintains cordial relations with neighbouring nations and consistently refuses to maintain military alliances.

Military
Saltstead maintains a military force built around a defence policy of deterrence and non-interventionism. Divided into the Army, Navy, Air Force and Constabulary, the Saltsteadish Defence Forces are headed by the Prime Minister as commander-in-chief and the Defence Staff appointed by the Defence Secretary. The Saltsteadish Defence Forces are empowered by the National Defence Act and given the mission to “preserve the independence, sovereignty, peace and security of Saltstead”, “protect the interests of Saltstead” and “overcome any organisations or regimes responsible for aggressive acts that imperil the peace and security of Saltstead.” Saltstead maintains a strict policy of deliberate ambiguity on whether it possesses nuclear, chemical and biological weapons to aid in its deterrence strategy.

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Geography
Saltstead is located in the northeastern part of North Cyanea and the nearby island of Asterholm, sharing a land border with Kryosis and maritime borders with Legalese, Audioslavia, Eshan and Paripana.

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Demographics

Religion

Language
Under the Constitution, Saltsteadish (Såutsteidisħ) is the sole official language of the Commonwealth. A member of the Ingvaeonic group of the West Germanic language family, Saltsteadish vocabulary and grammar is primarily derived from Old Saxon, with influences from Old Norse, Gallic and—in modern times—Anglian.

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Culture

Media

Sports
Association football is the most popular sport in Saltstead, with a football league system incorporating 36 professional clubs and a national team that competes in the World Cup and AOCAF Cup. Popular alternative team sports include gridiron football, rugby football and handball.

Food

Public holidays