Kingdom of Ebenthal

Kingdom of Ebenthal Reino de Ebenthal (Portuguese)
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: "Ubique Patriae Memor" "Anywhere, I'll always have the fatherland in my memory"
Anthem: "Far Horizons"
Location of Ebenthal in green.
Capital and largest city	Malmünd
Official languages	Portuguese English
Recognized regional languages	Hunsrik Rioplatense Spanish Swedish
Ethnic groups (2022)	77.6% White 16.0% Mixed race 3.8% Black 1.4% Bengali
Religion (2022)	51.4% Catholicism 24.2% Spiritism 12.1% Protestantism 8.2% Irreligion
Demonym(s)	Ebenthali
Government	Unitary parliamentary semi-constitutional monarchy
• Monarch	Arthur II
• Prime Minister	Henri Sãens
Legislature	Konkrëse
• Upper house	House of Aristocrats
• Lower house	House of Councillors
Formation
• Establishment of Gros Morne	30 January 2014
• Independence declared	11 August 2014
• Recognized	28 January 2015
• Constitution	8 October 2015
• Former dynasty	27 September 2019
• Reorganization	29 December 2019
• Conf. of Santiago	7 April 2020
Area
• Total	9.2 km2 (3.6 sq mi)
• Water (%)	1.9%
Population
• 2022 estimate	127 (inhabitants)
• Census	206 (citizens)
GDP (PPP)	2022 estimate
• Total	▲ 𝒦ℳ5.264 million
• Per capita	▲ 𝒦ℳ26,059
GDP (nominal)	2022 estimate
• Total	▲ 𝒦ℳ4.110 million
• Per capita	▲ 𝒦ℳ20,346
Gini (2022)	▼ 38.8 medium · 100th
HDI (2022)	▲ 0.900 very high · 29th
Currency	Kupfermark (𝒦ℳ)a (EBK)
Time zone	UTC−3 (BRT)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−2 (BRST)
Date format	dd/mm/yyyy
Driving side	right
Calling code	+55
Microcode	EB
IMSO 1 code	EBN
Internet TLD	.eb
The Kupfermark is the country's domestic currency used in all official transactions within Ebenthal, but nevertheless the Brazilian Real is widely used. Official website

Ebenthal, officially the Kingdom of Ebenthal (Portuguese: Reino de Ebenthal; Portuguese pronunciation:/e:bɲ'ṯḥɑw/), is a small self-declared country, commonly known as a micronation, located in South America, bordering Brazil and Luna. At 9.2 square kilometers (3.5 square miles) and with over 200 people, the territory of Ebenthal is divided into enclaves within the Brazilian states of Rio de Janeiro and Minas Gerais, in eight cities. The capital and most populated city is Malmünd. The country is divided into 7 provinces,1 special autonomous region and 12 municipalities. Portuguese is the national and one of the country's two official languages along with English. German and Spanish have co-official status respectively in two provinces, while Swedish is recognized as a minority language. The Ebenthali territory comprises several buildings, lands, including farms, forests, lakes and rivers. Ebenthal is a multicultural and ethnically diverse country as well the the country with the largest percentage of Spiritists in the world.

Modern-day Ebenthal was inhabited by numerous tribal nations until settlement by the Portuguese Empire in the 16th century establishing its new colony of Brazil, which gained its independence in 1822 with the creation of the Empire of Brazil, later becoming a presidential republic after a military coup d'état in 1889. From 19th century to the beginning of 20th century the primary territory that would form Ebenthal received German immigrants that would shape the national culture. In 2014 the Kingdom of Roschfallen emerged as an unrecognized secessionist microstate independent of Brazil. Due to political conflicts during its establishment, a group of breakaway nobles proclaimed the independence of the northern lands of Roschfallen and founded Ebenthal. The Ebenthali constitution, formulated in 2015 and largely based on the Brazilian constitution of 1824, defines the country as a unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy.

Ebenthal's gross domestic product is calculated on the basis of its copper stock, which back its domestic currency, the Kupfermark. The country is unilaterally considered to have an advanced emerging economy by micronational standarts and is classified as a developed country. Ebenthal is a South American micronational regional power and a great power within the Brazilian sector and can be considered from a small to middle power in some global intermicronational affairs. Ebenthal is a founding member of the Conference of Santiago and of the Micronational Trade Organization, and a member of the International Aerospace Community, having previously been a member of the Union Against Micronational War, Micronational Economic Group, Micronational Monarchies Organization and League of Professional Nations. It was also a founding member of the Liberal League, and the last applicant member to the Konmalehth. Citizenship can be acquired by online request and by living in one of its territories for more than a year.

Etymology

The Royal Constitution defines the country's official name as 'Kingdom of Ebenthal' in Article 1.

Art. 1. The Kingdom of Ebenthal is the political association of all its citizens and their possessions. They form a free and independent nation which does not admit any bond that oppose its sovereignty.

— Royal Constitution of Ebenthal

The country's proper name was inspired by the homonymous town in Carinthia, Austria. More precisely it is named for the early renaissance castle from which the town took its name, where Prince Luís Gastão of Brazil, Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, lived during his exile. Prince Luís Gastão's life inspired former High King Arthur I after reading the book Dom Pedro II in Germany by the Prince's grand-nephew Prince Carlos Tasso of Saxe-Coburg and Braganza.

The name Ebenthal comes from the Slovenian Žrelec, meaning "stallion horse".

History

Foundation

Main articles: Timeline of Ebenthali history, Ebenthali Independence War, and Treaty of Botafogo

Prince Luís Gastão of Brazil, owner and resident of the Coburg Palace in Austrian Ebenthal, whose story and connection between Brazil and the town of Ebenthal inspired the micronation.

The Coburg Palace in city of Ebenthal, Austria, after which this country was named.

Ebenthal has its origins in the Kingdom of Roschfallen, a NationStates micronation founded independent from the Federative Republic of Brazil in 28 January 2014, comprising territories in three Brazilian cities. The original territories which would evolve to become Ebenthal belonged to the House of Beato and comrpised a quarter of the Roschfallenian city of Triunphus and three-quarters of the of the Roschfallenian Department of Gros Morne. In the months following its foundation, Roschfallen was still a mixed simulationist-secessionist micronation under constant organizational changes which led to usual discussions on the country's government structure. King Arthur I of Roschfallen acted as a de facto autocrat and wanted to incorporate the noble houses' fiefs (properties) as unitary entities under control by the central government. He was faced with opposition by a series of nobles led notably by Lord Arthur Beato, 1st Duke of Gallar, the High Comissioner of the Department of Gros Morne, who try to press the King for changes, but he was ultimatelly dismissed along with other members of the Council of Fools who oppenly opposed the monarch. Facing his dismissal, in August 11 the Duke of Gallar proclaimed the secession of his lands from Gros Morne, creating the Most Serene Republic of Gallar, which existed for a few hours, as he was followed by his supporters who declared their territories' independence from the Avalon and Iriland departments and joined it with Gallar's lands proclaiming him King and naming the new state as Ebenthal. Upon Ebenthal's foundation – as the former Duke of Gallar's territory geographically changed to an enclave in Nova Friburgo with his family moving there – the new kingdom's government sought to expand its territory and gather citizens to form a cohesive government. To this, King Arthur I of Ebenthal (not confound with its Roschfallenian homonymous) was able to convince many of the Roschfallenian monarch's friends and even some relatives to join Ebenthal, annexing lands and creating enclaves in the Brazilian cities of Juiz de Fora, Belo Horizonte and Santa Luzia through sovereign concession.

The Constitution of Ebenthal began to be drafted by a constituent assembly composed by the King and the Nobility on 8 October, largely based on Roschfallen's July's discarded constitutional project, which itself was largely based on the Empire of Brazil's constitution. Among the difference which entered into effect in Ebenthal when compared to how it was under Roschfallenian rule, the country was declared an aristocratic monarchy on which only nobles would exerce political power. As for the country's culture it was initially a mix between Portuguese-Brazilian and German cultures with some Irish and Turkic influence; the monarch was entitled High King (later changed to King), the head of government was entitled Grand Vizier (later changed to Prime Minister), the first flags were heavily inspired by the Royal Portuguese flag, including the Cross of Saint James, from the Military Order of Saint James of the Sword, which became the country's most prominent symbol.

On 21 November 2014, the Conclave of Ebenthal, the country's first parliament, unicameral and aristocratic, was inaugurated and the micronation effective went on work. Adriano Moreira, 1st Duke of Zentar, who had been appointed interimn head of government since the country's independence, was formally appointed as the country's first Grand Viziet and appointed six ministers, giving shape to the Cabinet of Ebenthal. On December the 1st, the Tribune of Truth, the Ebenthal's sole supreme court, was innaugurated and Lord Pedro Reis, 1st Count of Gesetzhausen, was appointed as its first (and to this day only) Seneschal.

Consolidation

Main article: Ebenthali Civil War

After the victory against Brazil in Braunau, the subnational government of New Switzerland became a powerful political faction within Ebenthal.

"Flag Day Celebration" (2021) by Hans Scherer, portraying a military parade celebrating the legalist victory at the Ebenthali Civil War.

Once structured and stable, by the end of 2014, the Government of Ebenthal started to search for international recognition and settle diplomacy with other micronations, specially beyond the NationStates cluster in which the micronation was still inserted. The first country to recognize Ebenthal's independence from Roschfallen was the Duchy of Axvalley, trough a treaty of mutual recognition signed on 2 January 2015. Axvalley, being ruled by a personal friend to the King, also gave support to Ebenthal during the Ebenthali Independence War which was still being waged against Roschfallen. In January 28, admitting the futility of the conflict, the King of Roschfallen invited the King of Ebenthal to his birthday celebration on which they signed the Treaty of Botafogo by which both nations recognized each others independence, sovereignity and territorial claims, puting a definitive end to the Independence War and opening Ebenthal to more diplomatic contact. Immediatly following the event, the Ministry of Information and Propaganda established Ebenthal's first website, forum, archive and all kinds of database.

The Ebenthali Constitution finally entered into force in 8 October 2015. Through the rest of that year to 2016 the micronation engaged in promoting itself intermicronationally by joining organizations such as the Liberal League and establishing diplomacy, on which Ebenthal was greatly helped by the government of Axvalley and Roschfallen. At this first diplomatic development, Ebenthal stood quite away from the Lusophone sector, focusing in getting widespread recognition which could lend the government contact with prominent micronations. From mid to late 2016 the Government of Ebenthal engaged in a conflict which resulted in a declaration of war on Brazil as the latter had invaded the Ebenthali municipality of Braunau, then called Bracara, in the then Principality of New Switzerland. The matter was taken to a Brazilian court and settled with definitive victory to the Ebenthali representatives. In 2017 the government uncovered a plot by Lord Nilo Moreira, 1st Count of the Hidden Mound, First Lord of the Conclave, to overthrown King Arthur I. As soon as the plot was revealed to the monarch, he dismissed and banished Lord Nilo, who then managed to gather some supporters and tried to convince the Ebenthali nobility that he should be king, a title which he already claimed for himself. Nilo's position was supported by the openly Nazi Arabic Empire, starting a civil war for political control. King Arthur I, couting on the support of former Liberal League members such as Roschfallen, Schneeblutig, Harram and Rubrayev, was able to keep his crown while Lord Nilo was sentenced to death by dissolving in acid if he ever had any further contact with Ebenthal and its citizens, and he was permanently exiled along with his supporters.

Following the Ebenthali Civil War, Ebenthal was left strenghtened and with its micronational activity renewed. The country's population, counting both residents and active citizens, rose 30% in a year, with the active population itself doubling. The economy which feeded the micronation thrived with its increasing agricultural production in Eichenham where Argentinian immigrants had been hired to work with the cattle and they were asked and gladly joined the micronational political life, leading Ebenthal to its peak in regional activity. Job offers also attracted new residents to Malmünd, then called Arturia, and in Herrenwald. The country's population grew 153% between 2017 and 2019 due to the immigration and application for citizenship by Brazilians mainly related to the royal family and the principalities' reigning families, including some German Brazilians (namely members of the House of Scherer-Arrais). Still mostly isolationist, Ebenthal started to move away from its former sector of NationStates-originated micronations as they became inactive, to a wider micronational scene, joining the Lusophone sector by establishing contact with the kingdoms of Escorvânia and São Guimarães.

Intermicronational rise

Main articles: Mateusian Crisis, Brazilian sector, and Conference of Santiago

Portrait of King Arthur II, who was enthroned in 29 December 2019 following the September-December interregnum.

Flag of the Conference of Santiago of which Ebenthal is a founding member, and which has become the most influential intermicronational organization in South America.

Despite the wide populational growth, Ebenthal's demography suffered a fall in 2018 as a consequence of the Brazilian economic crisis which forced Ebenthali citizens to sell their property or close some jobs prompting the 2018 Ebenthali exodus, on which the country's population decreased by 25%. The following year, however, the population began to gradually recover thanks to government efforts to recruit new micronationalists. Nonetheless the political situation caused great disinterest in the political class, and even in the King, pushing the micronation to the brink of inactivity. Taking advantage of the situation, together with other factors, such as his studies outside of South America, King Arthur I announced he would abdicate the throne, which he did in 24 June 2019. He was immediately suceeded by his brother as King Mateus I.

Mateus' brief reign started as promissing but ended up being rather chaotic. He tried to bring in a series of unpopular changes and centralizing the government on his hands. The new monarch's disregard for the political game earned him many enemies and he conflicted with every major political power, of which the most prominent was the Reis Dynasty, a powerful noble house which by the time had five members in government offices, including the Seneschal of Ebenthal of the Tribune of Truth, Lord Pedro Reis, 1st Count of Gesetzhausen and the Peer Lord Nícollas Reis, 1st Duke of Nëbensee. King Mateus then tried to seized absolute power by abusing his constitutional rights through dismissing most members of the country's institutions which posed themselves against him, on which he was partially supported by the Conservative Party, sparking the Mateusian Crisis, as the event came to be known. To prevent the possible, if not iminent, dissolution of the nation, the Conclave, aligned with the Tribune of Truth and supported by the Royal Ebenthali Army, ruled for the King's immediate deposition, depriving of citizenship and banishment, on 27 September 2019, while his supporters also lost their citizenship. This ended the five-years rule of the House of Beato. A provisional government was installed and a regency was established under Lord Raphael Sousa, 1st Duke of Aureanburgh, as the government sought for a new monarch with some micronational experience. The Ebenthali throne was firstly offered to the former President Bryan of Rubrayev and later to Sultan Omar V of Harram, but both declined the offer. The Duke of Sion then offered the throne to the King of Roschfallen, who had ruled over Ebenthal before the micronation's independence. Disenchanted with Roschfallen, the King abdicated that country's throne and accepted the Ebenthali one becoming King Arthur II of Ebenthal.

Assuming the throne in 29 December 2019, Arthur II reshaped the nation to his image. He changed the country's symbols, adopting more Germanic features further connecting the micronation to its origins, nonetheless keeping the Cross of Saint James. He appointed the former Regent as his first Prime Minister and the Duke of Novaes as his first Lord Speaker, holding in place or elevating people of prominence in the Ebenthali politics that preceded him on the throne. The new King had his family lands, which had been part of Roschfallen, annexed to Ebenthal according to the Nomadic Micronation Theory's precepts. Since his rising to the throne, his connections made possible fot Ebenthal to achieve broader aspects in terms of power and diplomacy. New classification patterns were adopted and a new government database was created. In 23 March 2020 Ebenthal became a founding member of the Brazilian sector, adhering the joint political effort of the Treaty of Persenburg and the Protocol of Goetha, developed by Oscar I, Emperor-King of Karnia-Ruthenia, among others, to create a secessionist (a.k.a. derivative) micronationalist sector in Brazil as opposed to the largely simulationist Lusophone sector. To further advance the derivative efforts, in April 2020 the country became a founding member of the Conference of Santiago, an intermicronational political union, which eventually led to the Santiago-Mansean Conflict. On 16 July 2020, the country joined the Konmalehth only to see it dissolved in two days.

Contemporary era

Propaganda art of the Konkrëse, bicameral parliament established in early 2021 after the abolition of the unicameral College of Peers of the Realm.

Flag of the Conference of Santiago among the other states and organizations participating in MicroCon 2022. The Ebenthali Ambassador to North America was present representing the interests of Ebenthal and the Conference.

In 8 March 2021, Ebenthal went through a legislative reform which abolished the unicameral parliament, the College of Peers of the Realm, establishing a new bicameral one, the Konkrëse, and abolished the aristocratic exclusiveness, allowing commoners to engage in the national politics. Since then, the country has gradually become a democratic state and is subsequently considered a hybrid regime, with an increasingly solid representative democracy at the expense of aristocratic power, although the monarchy continues to be very centralizing. At the same time, the Ebenthali state abolished its armed forces, instituting, in their place, a non-standing reserve force. Seeking to reform and reinforce the national micronational economic development, the Ministry of Commerce developed the Kupferplan, creating a new currency for domestic use, the Kupfermark, stabilizing the domestic market that had been negatively affected by the ballast sharing policy. Ebenthal's financial policy drew attention, and after the formal adoption of the Kupfermark, the government announced its intention to launch an organization focused on economic development, supported by the Saint-Castin government, called Micronational Trade Organization. Growing intermicronational prestige allowed Ebenthal also join the International Aerospace Community and to be invited to become a member state of the Cupertino Alliance.

In 19 November 2021, the first government headed by a commoner passed the Federative Act, abolishing half of the sub-national monarchies, converting those principalities into provinces and renaming them. Later, on 5 February 2022, when the government decided to abolish the remaining principalities through the Unitary Act, effectively ending the federation and turning the country into a unitary state, this generated a profound constitutional crisis between the Central Government and the governments of the former principalities of Schwarzberg and New Switzerland, which threatened to secede. To deal with the situation, the Prime Minister Henri Sãens had to make concessions, allowing members of deposed princely families to retain their princely titles and temporarily remain in power until the next elections for Presidents of the Province. These measures, however, failed to please the Neo-Swiss government which decided not to recognize the validity of the Unitary Act, refusing to acknowledge the deposition of its reigning prince, Antônio I. In order to preserve national unity and try to end the crisis, King Arthur II intervened directly in the matter, using his royal prerogative to restore the Neo-Swiss monarchy ten days after its de jure abolition by the government.

Nevertheless, despite facing some mishaps, the Ebenthali government under Henri Sãens was quite successful in its objectives, coinciding with the election of King Arthur II as Secretary-General of the Conference of Santiago, ushering Ebenthal to what some observers identified as being the country's golden age. On 19 April 2022 Ebenthal became embroiled in yet another episode of the series of diplomatic conflicts that extends from 2020 that the government dubbed the Microlusophone Cold War, coordinating a diplomatic campaign against the Kingdom of Manso in retaliation for the smear campaign against the member states of and the Conference of Santiago itself carried out by the government of that country. In 10 August 2022 the Government of Ebenthal ratified with the governments of Karno-Ruthenian and Quinta Velha, the Pact of Malmünd, formalizing a defensive alliance.

Geography

Main article: Geography of Ebenthal

Mantiqueira moutain range, where Schwarzberg and New Switzerland are located, in the central region of Ebenthal.

Seasonal tropical moist forests are dominant in both the southern and northern regions of Ebenthal.

Ebenthal's lands are located on the far eastern part of South America's Atlantic coast, facing south, at the Mantiqueira and Mar mountain range, enclaved in the cities of Rio de Janeiro, Nova Friburgo, Saquarema, Magé, Itatiaia, Belo Horizonte, Santa Luzia and Juiz de Fora, close to the Tropic of Capricorn, where the shoreline is oriented east–west. It share land borders with Brazil, which surrounds all enclaves but the capital Malmünd, which also borders the Kingdom of Luna. It also encompasses several fluvial islets, such as Mombassa Rocks, Our Lady Rocks, and Jaconé Island. Its size, relief, climate, and natural resources make Ebenthal geographically simple. Its flora is dominated by Atlantic Forests that is divided between rupestrian grasslands in high altitudes of subtropical climate, and seasonal tropical moist forests, at sea level.

With a total area of 9.2 square kilometres (3.5 square miles), Ebenthal spans only one time zone, the UTC−3, and the summer time zone UTC−2. Ebenthali topography is diverse and includes hills, mountains, plains, highlands, and scrublands. Much of the terrain lies between 600 metres and 900 metres. The northern and central region of the country is rugged, encompassing two mountain ranges with heights reaching over 2000 metres, while its southern region is coastal. Ebenthal is supplied by two rivers, the Jaguar River and the Cat River, both tributaries of the Old Crone River, which in Ebenthal is called Altendamenach River, and is bathed by an immense lagoon of salt water and by the sea in Nëbensee.

Climate

Rare occurrence of snow in the geographical region where the city of Novesfora is currently located, pre-dating Ebenthali independence and the city's foundation.

The climate of Ebenthal experiences a variety of weather conditions across a scattered area and varied topography, but most of the country is subtropical climate, while the southern region has a tropical savanna climate. According to the Köppen system, Ebenthal hosts three major climatic subtypes: tropical, oceanic and subtropical. The different climatic conditions produce environments ranging from tropical rainforests in the southern and central regions, subtropical vegetation, including temperate coniferous forests in the central and northern regions. Many regions have starkly different microclimates.

The country experiences hot, humid summers, and mild, wet winters. In inland areas of the capital city of Malmünd, temperatures above 40 °C (104 °F) are common during the summer, though rarely for long periods, while maximum temperatures above 27 °C (81 °F) can occur monthly. On the other hand, cities such as Minen have a much more temperate climate with an average of 28 °C in summer and close to 0 °C during winter. Along the coast, the breeze, blowing onshore and offshore, moderates the temperature. Because of its geographic situation, the country is often reached by cold fronts advancing from Antarctica, especially during autumn and winter, causing frequent weather changes. In summer there can be strong rains, which have on some occasions provoked catastrophic floods and landslides. The mountainous areas register greater rainfall since they constitute a barrier to the humid wind that comes from the Atlantic. Snow has occurred in the central region (Schwarzberg), although it is rare. Frost occurs normally during winters in both central and northern regions.

Biodiversity and environment

Puma sighted near Malmünd.

The small territory of Ebenthal is comprised of only one ecosystem, which is the Atlantic Forest that covers the middle coast of South America, penetrating little into inland. In the central region of the country, Araucaria pine forests grows under temperate conditions, while in the southern region the presence of coconut and almond trees is common under hot tropical climate. The wildlife is percentage and relatively large for such a small country due to the great biodiversity of the ecosystem and the rural properties, so close to nature, that dot the country's landscape. However, the most common animal species in Ebenthal is the domestic cat, including stray and feral cats that inhabit the national territory.

Although none of these animals are confirmed to inhabit the national territory, sightings of large carnivorous mammals such as pumas, jaguars and maned wolves, and herbivores such as anteaters, sloths, oppossums, armadillos and several monkey species. Despite being washed by rivers, there is little animal life in them due to currents and proximity to civilization. Concern for the environment has grown in response to global interest in environmental issues which led to the creation of the Ministry of the Environment. Ebenthal has probably the most stringent legislation in the world regarding crimes against the environment, punishing crimes such as deforestation, trafficking in endangered species and deliberate water pollution with death by dissolution in acid. The country also actively combats air and soil pollution through awareness campaigns and punitive measures.

Government and politics

Main article: Government of Ebenthal

Façade of the Bubbington Palace, in Malmünd, the official residente of the King of Ebenthal and the Prince Consort.

The Kingdom of Ebenthal is constitutionally defined as a unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy and sometimes it ireferred to as a kind of enlightened despotism. The monarch, titled as King, is both head of state and co-head of government of the nation and his position is hereditary. The King appoints the Prime Minister, who acts as a co-head of government alongside the ministerial cabinet, government agencies and the parliament. Legislative power is exercised through the Konkrëse, the national bicameral legislature, consisting of the House of Aristocrats and the House of Councillors, under the sanction or vetoing of the King. Judicial authorities exercise jurisdictional duties almost exclusively through the Tribune of Truth. Ebenthal is a significant micronation according to Dresner's Categoric-Gradial System of Classification.

The Ebenthali State is constitutionally indissoluble and rests on the common unity and respective autonomy of six provinces and the capital. The unity is set on five fundamental principles: sovereignty, citizenship, dignity of human beings, the social values of labour and freedom of enterprise, and political pluralism. The branches of government (executive, legislative and judiciary under a check and balance system) are formally established by the Constitution, slightly centralized into the King. The executive is organized independently in all three spheres of government, while the judiciary and the legislative are organized only at the national sphere.

All members of the upper house of the parliament, the House of Aristocrats, are directly appointed by the King, while members of the lower house, the House of Councillors, are elected through universal suffrage. The Adjudicators, Justice Officers, are appointed after passing entry exams, while their Chief Justice, the Lord Adjudicator, is freely appointed among them by the monarch. Formerly an aristocracy, and now a mixed aristocratic-democratic system, Ebenthal conducted its first election on 8 March 2021. National politics is divided into two main parties: the New Democratic Party, the National Party. There are also the lesser Republican Party and the Democratic Union.

Law

Main article: Tribune of Truth (Ebenthal)

Pedro II College noble room, designated as one of the three usable rooms by the Tribune of Truth, along with the UNESA court room and the UFRJ Noble Saloon. These rooms are theorically of free use by alumni. Nonetheless, the Tribune of Truth has never used any of those.

Ebenthali law is based on Roman-Germanic traditions and civil law concepts prevail over common law practice. Most of Ebenthali law is codified, although non-codified statutes also represent a substantial part, playing a complementary role. Court decisions set out interpretive guidelines; however, they are seldom binding on other specific cases. Doctrinal works and the works of academic jurists have strong influence in law creation and law cases.

The Tribune of Truth serves primarily as the constitutional court of the nation. The legal system is based on the Royal Constitution, which was promulgated on 8 October 2014, and is the fundamental law of Ebenthal. All other legislation and court decisions must conform to its rules. The administrative divisions are allowed have their own basic laws, which must not contradict the national constitution, as well "organic laws", which act in a similar way to constitutions. Legislative entities are the main source of statutes, although in certain matters judiciary and executive bodies may enact legal norms. Jurisdiction is administered by the judiciary entity, although in rare situations the National Constitution allows the Konkrëse to pass on legal judgments. The highest court is the Tribune of Truth.

Military

Main article: Royal Reserve Force

"The Cavalry" (2023) by Hans Scherer, depicting the cavalry regiment of the Royal Reserve Force.

From its foundation on 11 August 2014 to 8 March 2021, Ebenthal had active Armed Forces, consiting of the Royal Army (including the Aviation Corps), the Royal Navy and the Cybernetics Corps, as well as the Royal Gendarmerie, described as an ancillary force of the Army by the constitution. With the enactment of the Ebenthal's Bicameral Act, however, the country's standing military was formally abolished and replaced by the Royal Reserve Force under the Ministry of War. The Cybernetics Corps was reorganzied into the Royal Cyber Corps, a branch of the Royal Reserve Force.

The former Ebenthali Armed Forces played a key role in keeping the country away from coups d'état such as during the Ebenthali Civil War, defending Ebenthal's sovereignity as induring the Ebenthali Independence War and protecting its borders as during the Ebenthali-Brazilian War. Under the former arrangement, the Ministry of War unilaterally considered private security personnel hired by the country's rulers to secure their lands as provisional members of the armed forces. This arrangement, often called a "private army arrangement", included two security companies active in Ebenthal: the SEGMINAS and the CAMPSEG. Nonetheless the country had its own active and aware military personnel, although mostly served only nominally, part of the reason why standing forces were abolished.

Substituting the Armed Forces, the Royal Reserve Force work similarly with rankings and offices, except it is only active when summoned by the monarch and it is mainly formed by civilians who take into military action. They also serve a cerimonial role when requested. The Royal Cyber Corps, however, remains a "standing" force as the country's first line of defense, since Ebenthal's main way of possibly suffering an attack, especially to which it can fight back, is through information warfare. Each province is also free to set its own internal security system, as long as they can pay for it without the resources of the Central Governemnt. Ever lacking its own corps, Ebenthal is served by the Brazilian Military Firefighters Corps.

Administrative divisions

Ebenthal is an unitary state composed of seven provinces and one special autonomous region, all of which may be collectively called administrative divisions. The provinces are governed through an executive-led devolved government by a Viceroy appointed directly by the King of Ebenthal based on each province's party representations in the House of Councillors. The Principality of New Switzerland is classified as a special autonomous region, governed by a hereditary absolute monarchy by the House of Scherer-Arrais, owning a degree of political autonomy greater than those of the provinces. The provinces and the special autonomous region are subsequently, but not necessarily, divided into municipalities. Municipalities that do not have provincial status, that is, that are not city-states, are governed by Administrators appointed by the provincial Viceroy. The entire territory of Ebenthal is made up of private properties whose sovereignty was ceded to the State of Ebenthal, either while the granting party is a citizen, or in perpetuity, at least legally. It is estimated that around 75% of the national territory belongs to both paternal and maternal relatives of the King Arthur II, while the remainder belongs to aristocratic families.

Ebenthal is divided into:

Flag	Arms	Region	Code	Capital	Other municipalities	Pop.	Area (m2)	Official language(s)	Government	Leader
Provinces
		Malmünd	MM	city-state	city-state	36	2.5	Portuguese, English	Executive-led devolved administration		Viceroy Armando van der Bruyn
		Minen	MN	city-state	city-state	32	0.8	Portuguese	Executive-led devolved administration		Viceroy Pedro Carvalho
		Nëbensee	NB	city-state	city-state	5	0.5	Portuguese	Executive-led devolved administration		Viceroy Felipe Saint
		Grünhufe	GH	city-state	city-state	6	0.2	Portuguese	Executive-led devolved administration		Viceroy Hugo Toledo
		Schwarzberg	SC	Llunfurt	Aldringen	4	0.4	Portuguese	Executive-led devolved administration		Viceroy Fernando dos Santos
		Herrenwald	HW	Karlfurt	Guterfolg	18	1	Portuguese	Executive-led devolved administration		Viceroy Henri Sãens
		Eichenham	EH	Mariënburg	Ölbaum	11	3	Portuguese, Spanish	Executive-led devolved administration		Viceroy Rafael M. de Oliveira
Special autonomous region
		New Switzerland	NS	Braunau	Kalifornien	16	0.8	Hunsrik	Devolved hereditary absolute monarchy		Prince Antônio I

Foreign policy

Main article: Foreign relations of Ebenthal

Logo of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, main resposible for Ebenthal's diplomacy.

Ebenthal's international relations are formally based on non-intervention, self-determination, international cooperation and coordenation and the peaceful settlement of conflicts as the guiding principles of Ebenthal's relationship with other nations and multilateral organizations. Nevertheless, in its recent history, Ebenthal has adopted a broadly interventionist policy regarding threats made to allied nations, taking their defense, but also regarding direct and coordinated political intervention on its satellite states. According to the Constitution, the King has ultimate authority over foreign policy and is tasked with reviewing and considering all diplomatic nominations and international treaties, as well as legislation relating to Ebenthali foreign policy.

Ebenthali foreign policy is a by-product of the country's position as a great power within the Brazilian sector, a micronational regional power in South and Latin America and a small to middle power within the global intermicronational community. The country follows a strict policy and resolution and strongly opposes simulationism and ficticional claims through its adherence to the Treaty of Persenburg and later to the Wrythe Convention. Ebenthal also holds a prominent place in the Conference of Santiago, South America's lead intermicronational organization, often representing it in interorganizational summits and events. Furthermore, Ebenthal also participates in other organizations such as the International Aerospace Community and the League of Micronations and has been through a long debate on wether to apply or not for the Cupertino Alliance which many allied nations are part of.

The first micronation to recognize Ebenthal's independence was the Duchy of Axvalley in January 2015. Roschfallen and Ebenthal signed the Treaty of Botafogo of mutual recognition as sovereign nations later that same month. Currently, Ebenthal has established formal and informal relations with several micronations.

Economy

Main article: Economy of Ebenthal

Landscape of downtown (old city) of Rio de Janeiro, where most Ebenthali business is done.

Ebenthal is a micronationally advanced emerging economy with a private-dominated market and developed economic sectors. The country's official currency is the Kupfermark, or Copper Mark, which is the domestic currency and legal tender, used in the day-to-day official micronational business in the country as well as in trade with foreign investors from internationally UN-recognized nations due to the real currency exchange rate and value pegged by a copper reserve through the copper standard. The Kupfermark has a fixed exchange rate with Vereinsmark, the national currency of Karnia-Ruthenia which adopts the copper pattern model similar to that of Ebenthal. Additionally, the Conferential Doubloon, which between 2020 and 2022 was the official currency of Ebenthal, is used as complementary currency for intermicronational commercial relations with some member states of the Conference of Santiago. Furthermore, the Brazilian Real, even though not official, is widely accepted and used throughout Ebenthal in day-to-day economic relations.

The Bank of Ebenthal, acting as the country's central bank, is responsible for setting the monetary policy for the Kupfermark and by the national regulation and exchange rate of the Conferential Doubloon, working with the Conference of Santiago Financial Authority. The bank also has the monopoly on the issuance of banknotes and it controls an agency, the Royal Ebenthali Treasure, primarily responsible for storing Ebenthal's financial reserves. It is subject to the Ministry of Commerce, which defines the economic policy and manages the macroeconomic aspects of the country. Ebenthal's economic policy is often seen as interventionist when it comes to the domestic micronational market and is often regarded as a State capitalism, for enjoying of private investors.

Ebenthal has a mixed economy and a emerging internal market, expanding its presence in intermicronational financial markets. The private sector alone represents 98% of Ebenthal's economy, a significant part of it being foreign-sourced, and is primarily focused on the primary and tertiary sectors. Major exports include meat, wood and grains, and also a few products of the secondary sector, such as decoration and consume goods. But the country's economic powerhouse are the services. The public sector, although small, it is existent and active, with the State owning some companies, and the main economic activity is the financial movement itself, besides provided services. Furthermore, the country has worked to develop a common market within the Conference of Santiago.

Ebenthal is not able to enforce tax collection, so the maintenance of the state depends entirely on private investments in the public sector, mainly in administrative bureaucracy. The biggest expenses of the Ebenthali State are with the maintenance of the administrative bureaucracy itself, and minimally with infrastructure and welfare, which are mostly taken care of, along with other areas such as security, health and education, by the private sector. The Central Government has invested heavily in modernizing its institutions and apparatuses in key areas of investment such as e-commerce. Total expenditures total roughly 𝒦ℳ250,000 kupfermarks annually.

Infrastructure

Science and technology

Details of the Kings Palace Observatory telescope.

Scientific research in Ebenthal is varried out by various government institution under the wing of the Ministry of Science and Technology, with the majority of funding for basic research and technological development coming from the the private sector's investment into the public sector. Ebenthal's most esteemed technological hubs are the Ebenthali Space Research Institute in Malmünd and the Royal Science Society headquartered in Frumar. Owner of relative technological sophistication, the micronation's main area of scientific research is that of astronomy, but Ebenthal has also been involved in developing small robots, improving solar panels and doing geological and agricultural research.

According to studies, 66% of the Ebenthali people is somewhat interested in sciences and new technologies, whereas 30% are more interested in astronomy; 79% are interested in information technology; 22% in military technology; 18% in biological technology; 52% in medicinal studies. The interest on technology surpasses the interest on scientific research by more than double, but nonetheless, Ebenthal continues to invest much more in research than in the development of new technologies, specially due to its manufacturing limitations.

Ebenthal produces a considerable part of its energy consumed (at least 31%) through solar panels, nominaly managed by Royal Light Company, a state agency administrated by the Ministry of the Interior. This occur mainly in Minen and Eichenham due to the agricultural needs. According to research, the entire inhabited territory of Ebenthal has internet and telephone signals 4G, and all of the Ebenthali families have at least one computer and one smartphone.

Transport

The Dona Maria Road, in Malmünd (house on the left). Most of Ebenthal's paved roads are cobblestone and connect the country to Brazil.

Ebenthali roads are the primary carriers of freight and passenger traffic. At least 40% of the streets, roads and paths in Ebenthal are paved with cobblestone, while the vast majority, around 50% are dirt roads and paths, with 10% paved with asphalt. Is it also estimated that 50% to 60% of the Ebenthali roads are accompanied by wood fences. The first investments in road infrastructure took place long before the micronation's independence. Ebenthali roads connect its cities with the neighbouring countries of Brazil and Roschfallen. There is no annual registration fee or road tax; however, all Ebenthali roads are privatized. The new car market is dominated by Fiat, (40% of cars sold in Ebenthal as of 2020), Toyota (30%) and Renault (30%). Over 70% of new cars sold in 2020 had diesel engines, far more than contained petrol or LPG engines.

Ebenthal isn't served by an own airport, but it has registered three helicopter landings, which prompted the government for the creation of the Princess Maria Heliport in the city of Mariënburg.

Ebenthal also has a small river transportation network connecting the city-state of Nëbensee, and to the Brazilian Rio de Janeiro state's town of Saquarema. The country does not have its own railway network, but Malmünd is served by two Rio de Janeiro's metropolitan train stations which borders Ebenthali territory connect Malmünd to Triunphus, in Roschfallen, and Rio de Janeiro, in Brazil; Minen borders one metro station as well, connecting it to the city to Belo Horizonte.

Education

The Federal Univerity of Rio de Janeiro, the most frequented college by the Ebenthalis.

The Royal Constitution and the Law of Guidelines and Bases of National Education determine that the Central Government must provide higher education, while each province must provide all the other stages. The Central Government is responsible for the regulation of education through the Ministry of Culture and Education. Each of these public educational systems is responsible for its own maintenance, which manages funds as well as the mechanisms and funding sources. The constitution reserves a percentage of the country's financial revenue for education. As Ebenthal isn't served by any educational institution other than the virtually-carried Royal Academy of General Knowledge, the education budget is mostly used for, besides the maintenance of that institution and for the funding of joint programs with other national institutions, for educational campaigns to ensure that the citizens of Ebenthal receive formal education however they might be accessible.

The Royal Academy of General Knowledge is a state institution with a variety of courses in all levels of education, founded in Malmünd in 2014, which includes extracurricular educational programs at multiple government institutions. As all the country's students have their studies funded outside Ebenthal, they frequent mainly universities in Brazil, among which the most frequented is the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, ranked 7th the best university in Latin America, according to QS World University Rankings.

According to the Ministry of Culture and Education, in 2018, the literacy rate of the population was 100.0%, erradicating illiteracy in the micronation, making it the first country (although unrecognized) in the Americas to completelly erradicate illiteracy. Higher education starts with undergraduate or sequential courses, which may offer different options of specialization in academic or professional careers. Depending on the choice, students can improve their educational background with post-graduate studies or broad sense courses. Attending an institution of higher education is required by Law of Guidelines and Bases of Education to be eligible to become a public servant. Kindergarten, elementary and high educations are required for all students, provided the student does not hold any disability, whether physical, mental, visual or hearing.

Health

Main article: Royal Health Accord

The Copa Star Hospital in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, one of the most frequented by the people of Malmünd.

According to the constitution, it is the state's responsibility to provide health and medical care in all levels to Ebenthali people, but as the micronation finds itself impossible to provide these services properly, in 12 December 2014, the Ebenthali Government signed an unilateral agreement with Brazil to enjoy their public health system, the Universal Health System, by establishing the Royal Health Accord. On the other hand, private healthcare systems play a major role among the Ebenthalis, among which it is estimated that 65% have some type of health insurance. As the micronation does not hold any type of health institution, the constitution-designated budget for the area is used to fund emergency medical needs for the population.

Despite all the progress made since the adoption of this health system in 2014, there are still several public health problems in Ebenthal, which primarily leads most of the population to seek private health. The greatest cause of death in Ebenthal is due to heart diseases (2 deaths per 100 inhabitants). The number of deaths from non-communicable diseases, such as respiratory diseases (1 death per 100 inhabitants) and cancer (1 death per 100 inhabitants), also has a considerable impact on the health of the Ebenthali population. Finally, external but preventable factors such as violence and suicide caused no deaths in the country so far, although it left injured citizens. The Ebenthali-concerted Brazilian health system is one of the most well-developed among micronations, at the level of the World Health Organization (WHO) according to their 2000 pattern.

In 2020, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ebenthali Government has promulgated a law which obliges all citizens resident in Ebenthal to be vaccinated as soon as any vaccines that have been approved by Brazilian Health Regulatory Agency are made available to them, under penalty of suspension of political rights, loss of nationality and even imprisonment (automatically commuted to banishment).

Media and communication

The Altenburg Express front cover at Ebenthal's official website.

The Ebenthali press was officially born in 11 August 2014 with the creation of a newspaper-like email news channel who functioned for only three month, giving place to the Royal Press, a state news blog on Ebenthal's official forum, which was the only formal channel of news communication until its extinction at the Ebenthali Civil War, when the journalistic archives were deleted along with much of Ebenthal's database, including the entire Ebenthali forum. Between 2017 and 2020 Ebenthal had no active media. However, it kept the standard means of communication between government members and internationally, such as official e-mail. The website never fully recovered from attacks suffered during the Civil War and was shut down in early 2019 after a period of virtually inactive months.

Ebenthal's media and communication sector was restructured only after the 2020 reforms, with the creation of a new website, including a news blog, social media pages advertising, a Discord group and a WhatsApp group for direct government-to-government communication. and citizens. In 2022, with the media rebranding, Ebenthal opened his first proper newspaper, The Altenburg Express, available on the government's official website and, it is intended, on its own domain. The newspaper is also published on social media and communication channels in the country.

Demographics

Main article: Ebenthalis

Citizens
Year	Pop.	±%
2014	11	—
2015	18	+63.6%
2016	40	+122.2%
2017	52	+30.0%
2018	39	−25.0%
2019	97	+148.7%
2020	169	+74.2%
2021	189	+11.8%
2022	206	+9.0%
Information taken from every year

The population of Ebenthal, as recorded by the Ministry of the Interior in mid 2022, was that of 206 people, of which 127 resided in national territory, 83 are active citizens, this is, people who actively exercise their citizenship in full capacity, wether they live or not in Ebenthal, including 43 members of government). with a ratio of men to women of 6:10 and approximately 90% of the population defined as urban. The resident population is heavily concentrated in the Northern (43 inhabitants), Southern (30 inhabitants) and Central (26 inhabitants) regions, while the two most extensive regions, the North and the Central, which together make up 70% of the Ebenthali territory, have a total of only 69 inhabitants.^{[citation needed]}

The first census in Ebenthal was carried out in 2015 and recorded a population of 18 inhabitants. From 2015 to 2020 the population has multiplied to over ten times with the laws of citizenship applied to the national territory, the foreigners who applied for citizenship and the immigration of Brazilians, Portuguese and Swisses. Ebenthali population increased significantly between 2019 and 2021 due to two main factors: the mass exodus of Roschfallenian citizens which became Ebenthali citizens upon the ascension of Arthur II to the throne of Ebenthal (as his family's lands and its permanent residents were registered as citizens with their due knowledge and approval) and the increase on the country's international prestige which in turn prompted an increase in the applications for citizenship. As the annual population growth rate has been positive and constant, life expectancy rose from 78 to 81 years and 83 years in 2021.

As of 2022, the government adopted less stringent measures for the application for citizenship, but strengthened the process of filtering potential citizens, reducing the rate of population growth. Knowing at least one of the country's two official languages is now a requiremente for citizenship. The government has also adopted new methods of recording, documenting, and giving citizens more access rights to their documentation, including physically (although most of Ebenthal's pertinent documentation is held virtually).

Race and ethnicity

Typical Ebenthali people, including many members of the House of Bruyn.

According to the National Research by the Ministry of the Interior of 2022, 77.6% of both the resident and no-resident population has been described as white; 16.0% as mixed race; 3.8% as Black; 1.4% as Bengali; and 0.4% as East Asian. There are no Ameridians in Ebenthal, although the DNA of most white and mixed-race people can be traced to some South American native tribe.

Since the arrival of the Portuguese in 1500, considerable miscegenation between local Amerindians and Europeans has taken place in all regions of the country (with European ancestry being dominant nationwide according to the vast majority of all autosomal studies undertaken covering the entire resident population [of Brazil, and thus, of Ebenthal], accounting for between 90% to 98%).

Ebenthali society mainly divided on resident citizens and Brazilian-born citizens versus non-resident citizens. Within this division, the society is further divided by social class lines, although some income disparity is found between race groups, so racism and classism can be conflated. Socially significant closeness to one racial group is taken in account more in the basis of appearance (phenotypes) rather than ancestry, to the extent that full siblings can pertain to different "racial" groups. Such an interpretation is officially adopted by the State in its classification of racial profiling in census surveys.

From the 19th century, Ebenthali territory had been to immigration. Hundreds of people from over 10 countries migrated to Roschfallenian-Ebenthali current territories between 1808 and 2016, most of them of Portuguese, German and Swiss citizens, Roschfallenian, and Brazilian. As from 2019, Ebenthal has been increasing its number of non-resident citizens who have applied for citizenship due to the country's growing prestige.

Religion

Sideview of the Basilica of the Immaculate Heart of Mary near Malmünd and frequently attended by the Royal Family.

Ebenthal is religiously diverse, encompassing a wide range of beliefs and customs. The kingdom has no official religion, and the government is officially committed to religious secularism, although the monarchical institution does sustain a series of Christian practices and features. Freedom of religion in Ebenthal is a constitutionally protected right, allowing individuals to assemble and worship without limitation or interference. The practice of religion is now fully considered a private matter throughout society and the state. The majority of Ebenthalis though did consider religion to be important in their daily lives. According to the 2022 census, 51.4% of Ebenthalis identify as Catholics Christians. Much of the remainder is made up of Spiritists, who accounted for 24.2% of the population, divided, wrongly, but on purpose, notwithstanding, into three sub-groups: Umbandists, Kardecists and Candomblecists (although this is a misclassification). Due to the increase in the non-resident population of Germanic origin (i.e. Americans, Scandinavians, White Oceanians and Germans), there has been an increase in the previously barely significant Protestant population, accounting now for 12.1%. In contrast, the population that declared itself to have no religious affiliation or to be either atheists or agnostics fell from 14.8% in 2020 to 8.2% in 2022. The remaining are affiliated with non-Christian religions, the largest of which are Buddhism (1.9%) and Hinduism (1.4%).

After King Arthur II ascended to the throne, he was able to pass a law in the parliament forbidding three Protestant groups to act in national territory, namely the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God, the World Church of God's Power and the Assemblies of God linked to the Brazilian pastors Silas Malafaia, Marco Feliciano and Everaldo Pereira. Several evangelical and pentecostal neo-charismatic features such as their staunch opposition to LGBT rights were interpreted as contradicting some constitutional guarantees and criminal laws, which the government used as justification for their action against these Protestant groups. Little internal criticism arose on the matter, given the tiny Protestant population, even smaller represented in politics, although it did weaken the micronation's relations with a few other micronations ruled by evangelicals, especially in South America.

Language

Interior of the Royal National Library in Bubbington Palace, Malmünd.

According to the Constitution of Ebenthal 2015, amended for this purpose in October 2020, the two official languages of Ebenthal are Portuguese and English, Portuguese playing the role of national language, spoken natively by 78.1% of the population, while English, speaking as a native language by 6.7% of the population, is the working language, used in administration, business, propaganda and also playing the role of lingua franca. Other languages are spoken by the country's citizens and some have limited recognition by the state. In two provinces, respectively, Portuguese is a co-official language with other major languages such as German, spoken natively by 8.7% of the population and officially characterized by its dialect of Brazilian origin, Hunsrik (although Standart German is equally accepted), and Rioplatense Spanish, often called Castillian, which is the language of 5.8% of the population. Through organic law passed in July 2022 Swedish was recognized as minority language for being the native language of 3% of the Ebenthalis, although it is not spoken in of Ebenthal territory.

In 2017 the parliament approved the use of the Brazilian Sign Language, commonly known by its Portuguese acronym LIBRAS, as official language to deaf people. In 2022, with the exponential increase in the population of non-Brazilian origin and recognizing the fact that 1/4 of the Ebenthali do not speak Portuguese, the Ministry of Culture and Education the use of all sign languages must be recognized by public institutions in the country. The law mandates the use of the Sign Languages in education and government services when needed. The language should be taught as a part of the curriculum and language and language pathology curriculum. Sign Language teachers, instructors and translators are recognized professionals. Schools and health services should provide access ("inclusion") to deaf people.

Brazilian Portuguese, the national and majority language spoken in Ebenthal, has had its own development, mostly similar to 16th-century Central and Southern dialects of European Portuguese (despite a very substantial number of Portuguese colonial settlers, and more recent immigrants, coming from Central Europe).

Culture

Ebenthal's culture was inspired by the German-Brazilian culture of Nova Friburgo, the Brazilian municipality in which the micronation was born.

The modern architecture is the main architectural style present in Ebenthal as seen in Minen, where all buildings follow this architectural style.

The core culture of Ebenthal is derived from the crossing of Brazilian culture, which is a by-product of Portuguese culture strongly influenced by African, indigenous and non-Portuguese European cultures and traditions, with German culture. Among other influences, the Portuguese introduced the Portuguese language, which is the national language, Roman Catholicism, the country's predominant religion, and neoclassical architecture styles. Aspects of German culture, introduced through the Hunsrik-speaking Brazilian Germans, predominate in the national symbology, in the political structure and in the names of localities and administrative entities such as provinces and municipalities, while the Portuguese-Brazilian culture predominates in the social environment, in the customs and traditions, in the cuisine. Other cultures that influenced the cultural development of Ebenthal include the British culture and the Ottoman culture.

Ebenthali art has developed since before the micronation's independence into in different areas and styles, the main ones being virtual arts (such as pixel art) and fantasy literature. The country is devoid of cinematographic history, but nevertheless, it has developed a particular complex audio-visual culture.

Architecture

The architecture of Ebenthal is influenced by Europe, especially by Portugal and Germany. It has a history that goes back 500 years to the time when Pedro Álvares Cabral discovered Brazil in 1500. Until very recently, neoclassical architecture the predominant architetonic style in Ebenthal, an inheritance of the Portuguese settlers and the pro-European policy of the former Brazilian Empire, and it is the basis for all modern adaptation styles in the micronation. Other distinguisheable architectonics styles are the Gothic architecture, mainly in the central region at the provinces of New Switzerland and Schwarzberg. Modern architecture, which recently became the country's predominant architecture style according to studies, is on rise, specially in the form of adaptations to the classical styles (Retrofitting, mainly in the country's two largest cities and further specially in Minen, which lies enclaved within the Brazilian city of Belo Horizonte, a modern-looking late-19th century planned city. Despite having a strong aesthetic policy, neither the central nor the provincial governments have architectural regulations. A basic architecture course is offered at the Academy of General Knowledge.

Music

The Efeito Colateral is a heavy and thrash metal band from Rio de Janeiro and Malmünd, recording.

The main musical styles heard in Ebenthal (not counting non-resident citizens) are mostly of Brazilian, American and British origin, and include genres such as Rock n' Roll and Metal and its subgenres, Samba and Bossa Nova, Brazilian popular music and American and British pop. The 2022 study by the Royal Academy identified that the musical genres most listened to within the national territory are, in order, Brazilian rhythms such as Brazilian popular music, Samba and Bossa Nova together, forming 30.7%, Rock n' Roll and Metal with all its subgenres forming 29.5%, American and British Pop forming 18.9%, and other genres such as Classic Music, Jazz, Rythm and Blues, Eurodance and Electronica forming a total of 15%.

Ebenthal's music industry is paltry, with only two bands having been officially formed in the country's history and, among them, the only one that followed a professional career is Efeito Collateral, which is a heavy and thrash metal band originally from from Malmünd. The band has already toured the central region of Ebenthal, in New Switzerland and Schwarzberg, and the Brazilian State of Rio de Janeiro, in addition to an album has been officially released and their music has been made available on major music apps. Amateur music, however, is a major highlight of the country. According to the Royal Academy, 71.2% of Ebenthalis stated that music is somehow important in their lives, and 27.8% of the resident population is proficient in some type of musical instrument. The same survey also showed that as of 2020, 65% of the country's population uses some kind of music application for smartphones such as Spotify and YouTube Music.

Additionally, since 2019, Ebenthal has hosted a karaoke championship every year, and the State actively encourages the proliferation of amateur bands and artists through performances sponsored by the Ministry of Culture and Education.

Literature

Machado de Assis, considered the greatest Brazilian writter, is the most famous author among Ebenthalis.

Despite a low literary production, Ebenthali literature emerged in 2017, three years after the country's independence, with the publication of short story Ucronismos de Guerra by Lord Adriano Moreira, 1st Duke of Zentar, depicting a fictional story about the Ebenthali Civil War. Ebenthal produced few but significant works in romanticism, especially focused on novels uchronic about Brazil's imperial past and equally uchronic short stories recalling important facts of Ebenthali history. Fantasy is also a highly developed literary genre in Ebenthal, with stories inspired by RPG games. One of the main national artists of the fantastic genre is Guilherme, Prince Consort, who has authored more than 10 short stories set in a fantastic universe developed in collaboration with King Arthur II. Published authors include Jean Roberto, who has published and sold 500 copies of his book Survivors, a drama about a zombie apocalypse portrayed in Brazil, and Prince Mário S. of Ebenthal, author to three published book and several essays on Brazil's sociology and political history.

Among the literary genres most appreciated by the Ebenthali are romance, fantasy, thriller, realism, history and political literature. The author best known and read by the Ebenthalis is the Brazilian novelist and realist Machado de Assis. Among other popular authors are H.P. Lovecraft, Mary Shelley, Tymothy Zahn, J. R. R. Tolkien, Fyodor Dostoevsky, José Murilo de Carvalho, Sigmund Freud, Paulo Coelho and José Saramago.

In 2018 the Malmundian Royal Fair (formerly called Royal Fair of Arturia), a literary and social event organized by the House of Beato and the House of Bruyn, took place in the capital city of Malmünd (then called Arturia), where many citizens and foreigners (mainly Brazilians) came together to exchange and talk about several books of their preference. More than 30 people participated and the fair disposed of more than 100 books. Currently, Ebenthal is served by several particular libraries and three public, the Royal National Library, located at Bubbington Palace, the Baron of Roches Library located at the Rochesburg Palace, both in Malmünd, and the Belmontine Princely Library, in Minen. The government destinates 5% to 15% of its budget to cultural input annually, especially the acquisition of books.

Cuisine

The main typical dishes of Ebenthal are chocolate-derived and powdered milk sweets, inspired by Gororoba, a national sweet created by he who would become the future King Arthur II in 2002.

Ebenthali cuisine varies greatly by region, reflecting the micronation's varying legacy of indigenous and immigrant populations. This has created a national cuisine marked by the preservation of regional differences. Examples are the Gororoba, a sweet ball made of chocolate and milk powder, considered the country's national dish; currywurst is the main regional dish in the enclaves of Nova Friburgo due to the German and Swiss colonization; Doce de leite and cheese bread are the regional dishes in the enclaves o Minas Gerais.

The national beverage is the chocolate milk and coffee. A typical meal consists mostly of rice and beans with beef, french fries and a fried egg. Popular snacks are pastel (a fried pastry); coxinha (a variation of chicken croquete). Ebenthal's cuisine is mainly centered in candies, specially made of chocolate, so the micronation dispose of many desserts such as brigadeiros (chocolate fudge balls), rocambole (roll cake) and romeu e julieta (cheese with goiabada).

Sports

The most popular sport in Ebenthal is football. The micronation created its football team in late 2018, but it has been dormant following two games. Volleyball, basketball, auto racing, and martial arts also attract large Ebenthali audiences. According to a 2019 survey, around 10% of the micronation's population practice some type of martial arts, mainly karate, Jiu-Jitsu and Capoeira.

The micronation is also a powerhouse of Paralympic Games as it is home to the world record holder and multiple-times swim champion André Brasil, who is a 1st-cousin-once-removed and godfather to High King Arthur II and a Ebenthali national.

National holidays

Name	Date	Notes
New Year's Day	1 January	The first day of the Gregorian year.
Peace Day	19 February	Victory of the Ebenthali government at the civil war
International Workers' Day	1 May	Honors the contributions that workers have made to the country's strength, prosperity, and well-being.
Abolition Day	13 May	Commemoration of the abolition of slavery in Brazil by Isabel, Princess Imperial of Brazil.
Independence Day	11 August	Independence of Ebenthal from Roschfallen
International Missy Barrat Day	30 August	Marked as a day dedicated to doing good deeds and encouraging others to do good deeds, associated with the fictional character Missy Barratt.
Salvation Day	27 September	Deposition of High King Mateus after he attempted to destroy the micronation.
Children’s Day	12 October	Honor children, promote mutual exchange and understanding among children and initiate actions to benefit and promote the welfare of the world's children.
Teachers's Day	15 October	Special day for the appreciation of teachers and their special contributions to the society.
Mother's Day	29 November	Celebration honoring the mother of the family, as well as motherhood, maternal bonds, and the influence of mothers in society. The chosen date was the death of Marília, Princess of Triunphus, High King Arthur II's mother, to honor her.
Emperor's Day	2 December	Tribute to the birth of Emperor Pedro II of Brazil, a revered person in Ebenthal.
Christmas Day	25 December	Traditional commemoration of the birth of Jesus.
New Year's Eve	31 December	The final day of the Gregorian year; Saint Sylvester's Day.

External links

• Facebook Page
• Ebenthali News
• Diplomatic Channel
• Become a Citizen