Batavian Kingdom

Bataafs Koninkrijk
Batavian Kingdom

National motto: Je maintiendrai!
Languages:
Official:	Dutch
Others:	Frisian, Low Saxon, Limburgish, Brzhonegh, Walloon, Brabantian
Cities:
Capital:	Amsterdam
Other:	Brussels, Rotterdam, The Hague, Antwerpen, Utrecht
King:	Guillaume-Alexandre d'Orange
Prime minister:	Fred Hemcke
Area:	51,820 km²
Population:	23,986,535 (2005) inhabitants
Currency:	1 rijksdaalder = 20 gulden = 240 stuivers
Organizations:	European Federation, Hanseatic League

The Batavian Kingdom, also referred to as the "Low Countries", the "Kingdom of Batavia", or simply "Batavia", is composed of nine semi-independent provinces. Renowned the world over for their chocolates, flower bulbs and wooden shoes, the Batavian Kingdom still maintains a small overseas empire as well, with colonies in and around the Indian Ocean, Africa and the Caribbean.

France and the Batavian Kingdom have a common frontier, corresponding more or less to the linguistic border of Belgium *here*. Brussels is a border town, Wallonia is a French province. The current ruler is le Roi Guillaume-Alexandre, and the royal line is *there* related to Louis Napoléon. Although the official language and that of the country as a whole is Dutch (sometimes erroneously referred to as "Batavian"), each province has its own official language(s). In addition, it can be said that Francien is still the language of the nobility.

The Batavian Kingdom is a relatively quiet and peaceful country, rarely the stage of any major political events. King Edward VI of England and Scotland is reported to have said once: "Should a Third Great War ever become reality, I shall move to the Batavian Kingdom; whatever happens in the world, happens there with a delay of fifty years!" In general, the Batavian Kingdom avoids meddling with international politics, pursuing a more neutral course instead. The country's main focus is trade and economic growth.

Yet, it has not always enjoyed such a significant peace as it does in these days. During the First and Second Great Wars, Batavia was overrun by invading forces, much like its sister countries, Luxemburg and Jervaine, to the south. Through all this political upheaval, Batavia has remained a kingdom, ruled by king Guillaume-Alexandre, who succeeded his mother Queen Béatrice d'Orange in 2013, thus becoming the first Batavian king after 123 years when the country was ruled by queens (the Batavians are not ruled by Salic Law).

Administration

Government

The Batavian Kingdom is a constitutional monarchy, currently ruled by king Guillaume-Alexandre (Guillaume IV). Although an important symbol of Batavian statehood, the king has little actual power, his role being mostly ceremonial. Executive power lies with the central government in The Hague, as well as the nine provinces.

Its highest body is the parliament, known as Staten-Generaal, seated in The Hague. The Staten-Generaal consists of two chambers. The Eerste Kamer ("First Chamber", also known as Senaat) has 100 members and is elected by the staten of the provinces. It has relatively little power, being able to reject legislation, but not propose or amend any. The actual power rests with the lower house, the Tweede Kamer ("Second Chamber"), consisting of 200 members.

The composition of the Tweede Kamer since 1982 has been:

Party name	1982	1986	1989	1994	1998	2002	2003	2005
socialist parties
SDAP	58	54	57	52	59	28	41	53
BCP	6	5	4	2	2	2	2	2
PPS	4	2	-	-	-	-	-	-
RP	3	3	-	-	-	-	-	-
PEP	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Ecotopisch Links	-	-	8	8	13	14	13	17
SVP	-	-	-	2	6	8	10	16
liberal parties
VVV	42	38	32	44	48	31	-	-
Democraten '70	9	13	15	28	12	5	-	-
VDC	-	-	-	-	-	-	44	39
confessional parties
RKVP	55	59	58	32	35	41	50	35
CDU	17	21	19	15	17	22	25	19
SGB	3	3	3	2	2	-	-	-
GPU	1	2	2	3	4	-	-	-
UPCP	-	-	-	-	-	5	5	5
conservative parties
Lijst Teun Geluck	-	-	-	-	-	41	5	2
Bewoonbaar Batavië	-	-	-	-	-	3	2	-
Liberale Lijst	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	7
nationalist parties
Centrum-Unie	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Centraal-Democraten	-	-	2	3	-	-	-	-
NP	-	-	-	-	-	-	3	5
others
BOM	-	-	-	9	2	-	-	-

See Governments of the Batavian Kingdom for a list of governments. The current government consists of sixteen ministers and is a broad coalition of four parties: the SDAP, the RKVP, the VDC, and the CDU (see Political Parties in the Batavian Kingdom). It took office in October 2005.

prime minister (premier)	Fred Hemcke	SDAP
foreign affairs (buitenlandse zaken)	Johannes Brinkmann Laheij	SDAP
interior (binnenlandse zaken)	Marinus van Esschen	VDC
finance (financiën)	Jan Roos	RKVP
economic affairs (economische zaken)	Margreet Maathuis	SDAP
social affairs (sociale zaken)	Marcus Lindt	SDAP
foreign trade (buitenlandse handel)	Marjolein de Vreede	CDU
justice (justitie)	Julius Wassen	RKVP
education (onderwijs)	Gabriëlle Haijer	SDAP
housing and spatial policy (volkshuisvesting & ruimtelijke ordening)	Henriëtte Vogel	SDAP
public health & environment (volksgezondheid & milieu)	Erik Ottervanger	VDC
communication & water works (verkeer & waterstaat)	Hans Rijkenberg	VDC
agriculture (landbouw)	Frans van der Hoff	RKVP
culture & welfare (cultuur & welzijn)	Nicoline van der Meulen	SDAP
overseas territories (overzeese rijksdelen)	Eelco Geugjes	CDU

Provinces of the Batavian Kingdom (updated to reflect the Frisian Islands Project.

Administrative Divisions

The Batavian Kingdom has been compared to the Scandinavian Realm in that each of the nine provinces are semi-independent states with a high level of autonomy, tied together by a personal union. The Queen is not only Queen of the Batavian Kingdom, but also Countess of Holland, Duchess of Brabant, etc.

Thus, the Queen is the nominal head of state of the provinces. However, she rarely acts in that capacity. Instead, she appoints a representative to each province who fulfills that duty. In the northern provinces, this person is known as Commissaris van de Koningin ("Commissioner of the Queen"), in the southern provinces as Gouverneur ("Governor"). The commissioners and governors are not elected democratically, but have to be confirmed by the ruling body of the provinces, the staten. They remain in office until they reach the age of 65, withdraw from their office themselves, are revoked by the Queen, or are impeached by a two-thirds majority in the Staten.

Each province has a government, called the College van Gedeputeerden ("College of Deputies"), over which the commissioner/governor presides; they respond to the staten.

The nine provinces of the Batavian Kingdom are as follows:

#	Name	Capital	Area	Population	Language	Religion
1	Graafschap Friesland	Leeuwarden	8,827 km²	1,534,658	Frisian, Saxon	Protestant
2	Graafschap Overijssel	Zwolle	6,449 km²	1,655,362	Saxon	Protestant
3	Hertogdom Gelderland	Arnhem	7,146 km²	2,580,357	Dutch, Saxon	Protestant, Catholic
4	Prinsbisdom Utrecht	Utrecht	1,386 km²	1,171,356	Dutch	Protestant, Catholic
5	Graafschap Holland	Amsterdam	5,068 km²	5,861,766	Dutch	Protestant
6	Graafschap Zeeland	Middelburg	3,041 km²	769,420	Dutch, Brzhonegh	Protestant
7	Graafschap Vlaanderen	Gent	6,057 km²	2,522,462	Flemish	Catholic
8	Hertogdom Brabant	Brussel	9,271 km²	5,943,230	Brabants	Catholic
9	Hertogdom Limburg	Maastricht	4,575 km²	1,947,924	Limburgs	Catholic

Overseas possessions

Unlike *here*, Southeast Asia managed to keep the European would-be colonisers at a safe distance. Therefore, there was never any "Nederlands Indië" or "Bataafs Indië". Instead, the Batavian Kingdom has the following territories in Asia: Atjeh, Arakan, Ceylon, Tsjinzoerah, Malediven, and Nagapatnam. In the West Indies, the Batavian Kingdom includes the Batavian Antilles and Batavian Guyana (a.k.a. Surinam). In Africa, only Leeuwenbergland and Batavian Kongo are still part of the Batavian Kingdom. It sold its possessions on the Gold Coast to Austro-Dalmatia in 1872; while Southwest Africa was seized by the English in the Boer War. Batavian possessions in North America were lost over the centuries.

The Batavians tried to colonize Nam Viet with the French but were unsuccessful.

Decolonisation took the same shape as in the case of the Federated Kingdoms and the Scandinavian Realm; instead of becoming independent states, the former colonies rather became equal components of the kingdom.

Not a possession in the usual political sense, the Zaandam-based ecotourism company Nieuw Zaandam Ecotours operates a concern on the eastern half of St. David Island in the Unincorporated Territory, NAL.

Geography

A great deal of the Batavian Kingdom is below sea level and is maintained by series of Polders, compartmentalized regions surrounded by dikes. Because the Batavian Kingdom is largely comprised of peat soils, they will continually fight against subsidence into the ocean. Dikes have been built over millenia. The most recent region recovered was Flevoland until the completion of the Frisian Islands Project (Plan Hickstra), which completed its first phase in late 2005. The second phase is set to be completed this summer, with the expansion of the Schiermonnikoog Island and the creation of Rottumeiland from Zuiderduintjes, Rottumeroog, and Rottumerplaat Islands. A similar project has begun to create the Marsdieperwaard, a new polder to build out the northern shore of Holland.

There is an ongoing project in the East Frisian Islands, an extension of the Plan Hickstra, which is expected to reach completion sometime in the summer of 2006. (This date may be pushed back, as the winter storms of 2005 have delayed the completion of some of the dikes.) This project is in cooperation with the Scandinavian Realm to fully incorporate the Easternmost Islands of the East Frisian Islands.

Borders

North and West: The North Sea and the British Channel

South: France

East: Holy Roman Empire (clockwise: Oldenburg, Hannover, Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate)

Economy

The Batavian Kingdom is renowned the world over as having the world's busiest seaport in Rotterdam. It is also the headquarters for tulips and diamonds.

Peaceful exchange is maintained with the Holy Roman Empire to the east, and France to the south. Industry still focuses largely on the domestic markets, although there is an increasing tourist trade, both in the Batavian Kingdom proper and in the overseas holdings of the Batavian Kingdom in Guinea, the East Indies, and the West Indies.

A former tourist spot is looking better, with the concern of Florida-Caribbean encroachment diminished in the Caribbean Sea. The Batavian Government expects that its stipend to the Holland Americas cruise ship company will soon be dropped, due to a large increase in tourist revenues.