User:UsualTiersX/sandbox/Valansten

Valansten, officially the Kingdom of Valansten (German: Königreich Valansten), is an island country in Polynesia. The country is located approximately 1,000 km from Tonga and 1.700 km from New Zealand's North Island. With a total land area of 119.347 sqkm. Valansten is made up of 1 main island, with 3 smaller islands and an archipelago North of the main island. The population of Valansten is 6.056 million people and is the third largest country by population in Oceania.

Valansten has been inhabited for at least 2800 years by the Austronesians. The island was relatively isolated until the formation of the Kingdom of Vaulema. In the 1600s, Europeans made it to Valansten to trade local goods. Eventually getting colonized by the French. However, France abandoned the island after the French Revolution and Napoleonic Wars. The Germans occupied the island from around 1873 until it was invaded during World War I and Germany was forced to give the islands back to France. During World War II, some parts of the islands were captured by the Empire of Japan. After world war 2, the Kötenberg accord was signed and Valanstenian independence was proclaimed. Since then, the country has developed significantly.

Valansten has a large variety of endemic species of birds, reptiles, and fish. The climate of Valansten is mostly tropical with small regions of subtropical and tundra in the mountains.

Valansten is a federal parliamentary constitutional monarchy. The current head of state is King Frederick Albert I. The current head of government is Chancellor Tobias Abenmeier who has been Chancellor since April 2022.

Valansten has a large economy, being the second largest in Oceania. It has a nominal GDP of 1.96 trillion Steinders. It's largest industries are agriculture, information technology, and tourism. But fishing and mining are also large industries. Valansten also has a high life expectancy and HDI rating.

Etymology
"Valansten" is a Germanized form of the name of the Kingdom of Vaulema, which roughly means "land of stones", due to large rock formations which are worshipped by the natives as holy sites. Other names from different kingdoms include Tanavaulana, Te Pinautepikana and Vā'anapunaitāpu. The native Valanstenian language is derived from other similar Polynesian languages such as Samoan and Tongan. The islands were known as "The stone islands" by passing explorers due to the high mountain peaks and the aforementioned field of stones. During French rule, the islands were known as "Vaulemé". The name Valansten was first used by the Germans who roughly Germanized the native name. The name is then used by the Valanstenians after independence.

Early history
Valansten was first discovered around 2800 years ago (around 800 BCE) by Austronesians when they first arrived at the island of Vaulemai during the Austronesian expansion. These peoples are mostly likely Lapita who went East from Tonga to find new islands. However Valansten would not have a large population until around 200 BCE. During the Polynesian long pause, several kingdoms formed in the islands of Valansten. Around the year 650 CE, a chieftain named Kauta managed to unite the majority of tribes under his rule. This became the Kingdom of Vaulema. Kauta was named as King Kauta I of the new Kingdom. Vaulema prospered under his rule.

Around the year 830, Vaulema managed to consolidate the tribes of Dorfstein and Eitensfeld. Around the year 1200 CE, the Tuʻi Tonga Empire launched an invasion against the Kingdom of Vaulema and other kingdoms allied to Vaulema in the Tonga-Vaulema war In the early phase of the war, Tongans sent their troops on boats to land on Western Vaulemai. Later, the Tongans would create restocking points in the coasts of Vaulemai. In the end, the Vaulemans managed to repel the Tongan invasion. It is estimated that at least 20 thousand lives were lost from both sides. After the war, Polynesians would use Vaulema as a restock point for further Pacific explorations. It is reported that at least some Vaulemans made it all the way to New Zealand to settle there.

A rebellion was staged by Tevanau against King Alileano IV in the year 1465 due to unfair land laws, which resulted in a new dynasty for the Kingdom of Vaulema, ending the one that is started by Kauta I. Tevanau replaces Alileano IV as King of Vaulema and is named King Tevanau I. During the rule of this new dynasty, Vaulema managed to conquer the last parts of Vaulemai and the island of Feirstein. The Kingdom continued to prosper until the Europeans came.

European colonization
Europeans first visited Valansten in 1616, after the explorers Jacob Le Maire and Willem Schouten departed East from Tonga. They marked the islands "East Tonga" for several years before coming up with a new name, The Stone Islands. However, there was a hypothesis that some Spanish and Portuguese traders visited the islands before the Dutch. After this discovery, several small Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, and French trading posts were created to buy spice and materials from the locals. These trading posts are mostly built along the coast near modern day Kötenberg, Droden, and the island of Dorfstein. During this time, several missionaries were sent to the islands to convert the local to Christianity. A failed attempt by the Spanish in 1740 resulted in the natives sacking of 3 of their trading posts in Dorfstein. Angered by this, the Spanish sent 5 of their ships to engage the Vaulemans at their capital. This resulted in a devastating battle where around 1000 natives and 80 Spanish were killed. After this event, some natives convert to Catholicism due to fear.

After some time, the French began to send their own people to populate the islands. Mostly in the Ostenplitz peninsula and Northern Dorfstein. After kicking out other powers, France colonized most of the islands. However, after the Napoleonic Wars the islands were left abandoned. The remaining French population managed to form an independent state centered around Nouvea in the Ostenplitz peninsula and Northern Dorfstein, centered around Hendertel.

The German Empire colonized the island in 1873 after several German sailors landed near Kötenberg. The Germans soon entered into conflict with the French settlers in 1875. This resulted in a war that lasted for over 3 years. In 1878, the Kingdom of Vaulema was officially dissolved. Members of the royal family are forced into exile. The Germans sent a lot of people to settle the islands, causing the French and Native Vauleman minorities to isolated parts of the island. The population of the islands increased from 50.000 to 350.000 after the Germans occupied it. The Germans also spread Protestantism making it the largest religion in the island by 1910.

World war I and II
During World War I, Valansten was part of intense fighting. A naval battle ensued near Dorfstein after the British sent a fleet to combat the German Pacific Fleet patrolling the islands. The intense naval batle resulted in a dozen ships sinking in total. In 1916, the entente commenced a naval invasion of the islands. After easily taking the Southern part of Vaulemai, the entente moved North to take Togert, Gelinste, and Legengratz. However, the Germans fought hard to defend the island. The allies failed to capture Togert due to the harsh terrain of the mountains. After taking Legengratz in October 1917, the entente pushed North which resulted in the capture of Gelinste 7 months later. The war in Valansten ended after the major city of Küstedei was captured by the allies on September 22 1918 and the Germans on the islands surrendered. During the war, both sides enlist natives from the Southern part of Vaulema. The French community in Ostenplitz and Northern Dorfstein sided with the entente. Germany gave up the islands to France as a League of Nations mandate as part of the Treaty of Versailles.

During French rule, the Germans faced discrimination by the ruling French class. This resulted in a revolt which culminated in the sacking of Elsengon by the government. After facing inequality, some Germans turned to extremism. This resulted in fascist and communist groups forming up and causing chaos on the islands. However the majority of Germans stayed neutral on the issue. Valansten then became an important allied base during World war II. In July 1942, the Empire of Japan sent a naval squadron to try taking Valansten. However when they are several hundred miles south of Tonga, they were spotted by allied bombers and the entire squadron was defeated. However, the Japanese successfully landed on the Northern part of Vaulemai 3 months later. This resulted in the extremist groups rising up against the French colonizers. After taking the Northern archipelago with some resistance, the Japanese moved towards Kötenberg. However, the Japanese were decisively defeated around 50 km North of Kötenberg near the city of Brittenbar. After the defeat, the Japanese attempted to capture Ostenplitz peninsula, but failed after receiving hard resistance from the French locals there. The Japanese troops left the island in January 1944 to defend their colonial gains in Asia. However, some extremist resistance is still present throughout the islands after the Japanese left.

Independence
After the Japanese surrender, Valansten was put under joint allied control for several years due to the rising tension by extremists and chaos after the Japanese invasion. They elected Klauz Stedner to become the governor. During this time, hundreds of thousands of Germans moved here after their flight and expulsion from occupied territories after World War 2. Because of this, the allies soon formed the Valansten refugee foundation to assist Germans fleeing from Eastern parts of Germany. During this time, Valansten recieved financial aid to rebuild after the Japanese invasion. The allies allowed Valansten to gain independence as soon as Germany is reformed.

In 1947, several extremist leaders gathered up to form the Valansten Liberation Front and launched several attacks against government facilities in several cities. This soon turned into a rebellion led by Adler Bheinmann. He planned to launch an assault on Kötenberg and "liberate" Valansten from foreign colonizers. However, the majority of the population stayed loyal as they wanted to gain independence by peaceful means. The rebellion lasted until the local forces managed to kill Bheinmann near Elsengon a year later. Most of his allies were sent to life in prison.

After the formation of West Germany in 1949, the Kötenberg Accord was signed by delegates from West Germany, France, The United Kingdom, The United States of America, and Valansten. The signing of the accord guarantees Valanstenian independence by the end of 1949. On 5 June 1949, independence is officially declared after the raising of the Federal Republic of Valansten flag in Kötenberg plaza. Soon after, the new government began drafting a constitution. However, the first draft angered the native and French minorities in Valansten, as the constitution does not guarantee rights and does not outlaw violence against minorities. After 4 months of protest and deliberation, the constitution was finalized.

Post-independence
Initially, Valansten had the President as head of state and the Chancellor as head of government. Hendrik Stalberg was elected as the first President of Valansten. While Klauz Stedner became the new chancellor after being elected in December 1949. He made several laws that guarantees further rights for the natives, such as the right to vote in 1951, and the right to intermarry in 1952. However, Stedner resigned in 1952 due to several strokes. After and election, Chancellor Arben Stenter was elected. He began to make the country more authoritarian. He failed to get reelected in 1956 due to the laws he signed and also mass protests against his regime. After this, Chancellor Lukas Abenmeier was elected. During his rule, he signed several laws which ensured more rights to natives. After Lukas, the next chancellor is Benjamin Adenson in 1964. A year later, after suspicions that Adenson was a soviet spy, he was deposed by a United States led coup, which puts General Harrison Getner as a dictator to stop further soviet attempts on ruling the country. This essentially puts him in control of the government as the President resigned a few weeks later. After the coup, the president of Valansten resigned and Getner became both President and Chancellor. During his rule, he passed a law which restricts native and French rights due to Getner thinking that they were plotting against him. Getner received international condemnation in 1978 after the killing of 150 natives in Hochendrotten during a protest. In 1982, after 17 years of being dictator, Getner agreed to hold elections. Several candidates ran against Getner from multiple different political parties. However, Getner received 84% of the vote. Protests erupted after the public found out that there was a massive voter fraud. In reality, Getner was defeated by Maria Lesner, who received 65% of the vote. After several months of protestm Getner agreed to step down as Chancellor. Maria Lesner became the first female chancellor. Valansten began to open up after the dictatorship during her rule. She also struck down Getner's law on native and French discrimination. In the same year, Valansten officially joined the Pacific Islands Forum and Pacific Community.

After Lesner's term ended, the country was extremely divided politically. Following a close election in 1990, a controversial candidate named Georg Heissen got elected as Chancellor. Riots and protests broke out in major cities due to suspicions of voter fraud and suspicions that Heissen was a drug abuser. The protests grew after the current President of Valansten, Besling Metten was accused of corruption and abuse of power. Georg Heissen was removed on December 1992 by a motion of no-confidence after the public found out that Heissen did use and sell illegal drugs after years of investigation. He was replaced with Johann Lesner, husband of former chancellor Maria Lesner until the next election. However, the protests still continued due to the president remaining in office. The protests ended on September 1 1994 after a member of the Reichstag proposed to change the political office of President to the non-political office of a monarch. The public voted overwhelmingly for a monarchy. The first King was Frederick I who was a German prince before ascending to the throne. After the election in 1994, Nikolas Schlend became chancellor. In 2005, King Frederick I abdicated in favor of his son, Frederick Albert I In 2006, Schlend lost the election to Emile Mittner. She was the first chancellor from the Green Party and also the youngest Valanstenian Chancellor when she was. first elected at the age of 35. The economy continued to grow until the Great Recession. Mittner managed the country well during the recession and resigned in 2022. After an election, the current Chancellor Tobias Abenmeier was elected.

Geography
Valansten is an island nation in Polynesia comprising of 1 main island, Vaulemai. As well as 3 other islands and other smaller islands and islets. The 3 islands in descending size are Dorfstein, Eitensfeld, and Feirstein. A large Archipelago is located North of Vaulemai. The tallest mountain in the country is Mt Togner, which is 3.8 km tall. The longest river is the Elborai river which flows from the mountains of Togen, through Mittelpleis, and ends at the capital. The largest lake in the country is Elschengen reservoir at around 218 km2. The lake is the result of the damming of the Elborai river. The largest natural lake in Valansten is Lake Tapanamanu in West Hochendrotten at 125 km2.

The islands of Valansten were formed by volcanic activity around 475.000 years ago. While some volcanoes are still active to this day, most are either dormant or extinct. The latest eruption from any volcano in Valansten was 2019 when a volcanic eruption in Southern Dorfstein caused around 37 people to die.

Being part of the Pacific plate, just East of the Indo-Pacific plate, Valansten sometimes experiences tsunamis and earthquakes. The most recent one being the 2022 Hunga Tonga–Hunga Ha'apai eruption and tsunami. The waves created by the explosion hits the province of Geleghein and West Hochendrotten severely, with at least 5 confirmed deaths.

Climate
According to the Köppen climate classification, the climate of Valansten is mostly tropical savanna with some tropical rainforest, and tropical monsoon. There is also a small semi arid climate zone in East Hochendrotten and Western Geleghein, humid subtropical and oceanic climate in the island of Eitensfeld, and a small tundra climate zone in the highest mountains of Togen. Valansten's average temperature lies around 20-25°C (68-77°F). The highest temperature on record being 32°C (90°F) near Gelinste, while the lowest is -6°C (21.2°F) at the peak of Mount Togner. Valansten is relatively humid, but can also be dry in some places such as East Hochendrotten.

Biodiversity
Valansten has a large number of species with 567 species of birds, 427 species of reptiles, 174 species of amphibians and 87 species of freshwater fish. Valansten also has around 520 plant species. Around 1/3 of the species listed are endemic. The country is divided into roughly 6 ecoregions. These being the Southern arid region, the Southwestern rainforest region, the central mountain ranges, the North and Eastern plains, the Southern islands, and the Northern archipelago.

Some endemic species include: The Wat'ala, a flightless bird related to the now extinct Moa of New Zealand, but is smaller at the size of a Rhea. An endemic species of Eagle, the Valanstenian Eagle which is a sea eagle, has a range comprising of most of the country and is also the national animal;. The Valanstenian monitor lizard which has 4 subspecies. These are the Southern Vaulemai monitor lizard, the Northern Vaulemai monitor lizard, the Dorfstein monitor lizard. and the Eitensfeld monitor lizard.

Since the Europeans first landed on Valansten, several endemic species have gone extinct. After independence, over 60% of the endemic species of Valansten went extinct. In an effort to preserve native wildlife, Chancellor Lukas Abenmeier officially established the national parks of Valansten. Currently there are 18 national parks and landmarks. These national parks help preserve the local wildlife and environment from industrialization and are popular tourist destinations.

Environmental issues and climate change
It has been projected that 2/3s of Kötenberg will be submerged in water by 2100. Because of this, Valansten has contributed on combatting climate change. Almost all of Valansten's energy (87%) comes from renewable resources such as geothermal, wind, solar, and water energy. Valansten also joined several international organizations such as the Pacific Regional Environment Programme. Valansten also signed the Kyoto protocol and Paris Agreement. Since 2010, factories are required to have advanced filtration systems to reduce pollution. Valansten also sends foreign aid to other Pacific island countries to help them combat climate change and rising sea levels.

Government
Valansten is a Federal Parliamentary Constitutional monarchy. The Valansten government is separated into 3 branches, the executive, legislative and judicial branches.

The current Head of State is King Frederick Albert I who has been reigning since 2005. The Monarch has no power in the government and only serves as a ceremonial and non political figure. As of 2023, the approval of the royal family is around 84%. Valansten uses absolute primogeniture for succession to the throne. The current Heir is Crown Princess Frederika Viktoria, who will become the country's first Queen regnant.

The Head of Government and the executive branch is currently Chancellor Tobias Abenmeier, grandson of Chancellor Lukas Abenmeier who was elected in the 2022 elections. His approval rating is around 67% in November 2023. The Chancellor is the party leader of the party with the most seats in the Reichstag.

The legislative branch of Valansten is the Parliament of Valansten, which is a bicameral legislature. The parliament consists of the Bundesrat (upper house) and the Reichstag (lower house). The Bundesrat has 33 seats. 2 seats for subdivisions with less than 300.000 people, 3 seats for subdivisions with 300.000-700.000 people, and 4 seats for subdivisions with over 700.000 people. The Reichstag has 245 seats which represents an electoral district. An election is held every 4 years to elect representatives for the parliament and determine the Chancellor using single transferable vote.

Valansten is a multi-party system for most of its history. One major exception of this is during the 17-year long Getner dictatorship where Valansten is solely governed by the National Party of Valansten. Since then, the country has at least 4 large parties which are The Valansten Left Party (VLP), The Conservative Alliance of Valansten (KAV), The Valansten Green Party (VGP), and The Valansten Center People's Party (VZV), as well as several smaller parties such as the Valansten Social Democratic Party (VSP), the National Awakening Party (NEP), and the Federal Unity Party (FEP)

Subdivisions
Valansten is a federal state which consists 11 subdivisions (Unterteilungen). Each subdivision is largely autonomous for internal matters and has its own constitution. The subdivisions are further divided into 114 Municipalities (Gemeinde). Each subdivision has it's own legislature and head of state and government.

Native Vaulemans in the Province of West Hochendrotten have representation based on their Ohapa (clan). 87 Ohapas currently have representation in government. One chief represents their Ohapa in the Vauleman Council which is the legislative branch of the government of the West Hochendrotten. Each Ohapa in the lower council has representation based on their population.

The Ostenplitz province has a law which makes French a co-official language of the province. Since around half of the population is French, This has caused some tensions in recent decades between the French and German population, especially during the rule of Chancellor Getner.

The Northern Archipelago territory was reformed into a special province in 2022 by Chancellor Tobias Abenmeier to allow for economic growth and tourism.

Law and crime
Valansten has a Civil law legal system. The Valanstenian Federal Constitutional Court is the supreme court of Valansten. The Federal Constitutional Court of Valansten is responsible for constitutional matters. The highest court of appeal in Valansten is the Federal Court of Justice. Lower and non federal courts are determined by the subdivision and varies between subdivisions. Usually a subdivision has a court for the entire subdivision and a court for each municipality.

Valansten has a relatively low level of crime compared to most of the world. With an average of 2.02 crimes per week. The country only has 0.77 murders per 100.000 people as of 2021.

Though Valansten still has capital punishment, it is only used in extreme cases such as terrorism or mass murder.

Military
The Valanstenian military is skilled and well trained. The Valanstenian armed forces consists of the Army, Navy, and Air force. The Chancellor and Minister of Defense has the role of Commander in Chief. The military has a size of around 50.000 active and 400.000 reserve due to conscription laws which requires 25% of able-bodied Valanstenians age 19-30 to serve at least one 6 month long military training. The military has many modern equipment from different countries such as the US, EU, and Australia. The navy consists of 7 frigates, 9 corvettes, 10 submarines, and several dozen other ships. The air force is equipped with modern jet fighters. The Valanstenian military also has agreements with the EU to allow Valansten to use EU made military equipment and train with armies from EU countries. Valansten also has a military agreement with the United States which allows the US and it's allies to use Valansten as a military base for patrol in the Pacific and the Valanstenian military gets US military equipment.

International relations
Valansten has a special relationship status with Germany, Valansten's third largest trading partner after Australia and The United States. Valansten is also part of the Pacific Islands Forum and the Pacific Community. Valansten is often the trade and tourism hub for the Pacific countries, and provides flights to other small Pacific island countries such as Tonga, Kiribati, and Samoa. Valansten gives a lot of foreign aid to other countries during disaster. Valansten is also an official member of the Pacific Community and the Pacific Islands Forum.

A launch pad is being built in the isolated parts of the West Hochendrotten The project was the result of a partnership between the European Space Agency and the Valansten Space Agency and is partly funded by the ESA. The building of this launch pad angered several native Vauleman tribes due to the launch pad being built on a hill considered sacred by several tribes. As of 2023, the construction is still being continued and the protests have stopped. The launchpad is due to finish in 2026.

Economy
Valansten has a large economy, having a nominal GDP of US$1.17 trillion as of October 2023, as well as a GDP PPP of US$1.43 trillion. This makes it the second largest economy in Oceania, only behind Australia. Large information technology manufacturing companies, such as ValansTech and DorfstIntel have headquarters in Valansten. Agriculture is large in the more rural parts of Valansten, mostly producing wheat, potato, sweet potato, and other crops. Meat based agriculture also plays a large part in the economy, with sheep, cow, pig, and chicken farms. The farms are mostly located within the provinces of Mittelpleis and East Hochendrotten. There is a large mining industry in the Mountainous province of Togen. The mines of Togen produced several hundred thousand tons of copper, lead, and tin each year. Fishing is also a large part of the economy of Valansten. However, the industry has been slightly weakened due to environmental laws and prohibition on large scale fishing in the Northern archipelago. The average monthly income is around 120.000 Steinders. The current exchange rate for Steinder is 1 USD = 1.45 VST

Infrastructure
Valansten has 20 highways connecting the country, With 17 of these being in Vaulemai and the rest in Dorfstein. Valansten also has a large train network with 3 high speed rail lines under construction, which will connect the Kötenberg metropolitan area. Valansten has 13 international airports, with the largest one being Kötenberg Kauta I International Airport. The airports and seaports of Valansten serve as important resting and stocking points for international shipment due to it's strategic location in the middle of the Pacific ocean. The port of Kötenberg is the largest port in the central Pacific region. Valansten also has underwater tunnels connecting Vaulemai with Dorfstein and 2 islands of the Northern archipelago. A bridge between Dorfstein and Feirstein was completed on January 2023, while a tunnel is currently being constructed to connect Vaulemai with Eitensfeld.

Energy in Valansten is mostly provided by renewable resources such as water, wind, solar, and geothermal. The Elsengon dam provides energy for over 30% of Valanstenians. Several large wind turbines are built in the Northern archipelago and the province of East Hochendrotten, which provides most of the energy for the 2 regions. While geothermal power is mostly used to power the Western part of Vaulemai, mostly supplied by the province of Togen. Solar power plants operate in isolated regions of Togen and West Hochendrotten, as well as small islands in the Northern Archipelago. Valansten also operates 4 nuclear power plants, with the largest one being located in

Tourism
Tourism is a large part of the economy of Valansten, contributing 17% of the national GDP. The country is the third most visited country in Oceania, behind Australia and New Zealand. A large amount of luxury resorts are opened in the Province of Togen and the Northern archipelago. The most visited places in Valansten are Northern reefs national park, Mount Togner, Kötenberg central park and plaza, Hochendrotten rainforest, Droden cathedral, the waterfalls of Mittelpleis, and the Togen hot springs.

Demographics
Valansten has around 6.547 million people as of December 2022. The country has a life expectancy of 80 years for males and 82 years for females, ranking it the 2nd highest in Oceania (tied with New Zealand) and 16th on the world. The country also has an Human Development Index score of 0.911, the third highest in Oceania and 26th in the world. The country has a median age of 36.8.

Ancestry and ethnicity
Most of Valanstenians have ancestors from Germany. The reasons the Germans moved to Valansten are varied. Some moved seeking new opportunities, some are paid by the government to move there, and a small amount are soldiers sent to garrison the island, who eventually settled permanently. The Germans who moved to Valansten during the colonial years compose of slightly under half of the German population in Valansten. The rest mostly arrived after World War II after many of them are expelled from territories occupied by the Soviets. The next largest ethnic group is Valansten native (Vauleman). The natives of Valansten were descendants of Polynesian explorers who settled in Valansten. A large amount of the natives are exterminated after European colonization. Today, most of the Vaulemans reside in West Hochendrotten, with a minority in East Hochendrotten and Mittelpleis. The next largest ethnic group is the French, The French are mostly descended by traders and settlers before the seven years war, as well as in the 1920s when Valansten was under French rule after World War I. Since then, several French immigrants have moved to Valansten. Other Polynesian and white groups also reside in Valansten.

Language
The official language of Valansten is German and Vauleman basic. However, some other languages are also official in provincial levels. French is the co-official language in the Ostenplitz province, and a large creole speaking population in the large cities of West Hochendrotten and the province of Mittelpleis. Valanstenian creole is a mix between native Vauleman languages and German. Most Valanstenians in large cities also speak English.

Religion
While Valansten has no official religion, the largest religion in Valansten is Christianity with over 70% of the country adhering to the religion. This is divided between 47.9% Protestant, 20.5% Catholic, and around 2% other. Most of the German population adheres to Protestantism, while some Germans and most of the French adhere to Catholicism. The next largest religion is Valanstenian Folk religion. The religion mostly focuses on the worship of ancestors by using totems and ancestor worship. A moderately sized Muslim community resides in the some of large cities of Valansten. A large unaffiliated community also exists in Valansten. The unaffiliated groups first appeared when Chancellor Maria Lesner legalized atheism as it was previously banned when Valansten was still extremely religious.

Healthcare
Valansten has a very developed healthcare system. With Kötenberg Medical Center being ranked as one of the best hospitals in the world. Due to this, many people from nearby island countries go to Valansten to receive healthcare. The health of Valanstenians are also good due to widespread availability of public healthcare. Only 7.96% of Valanstenians are considered as obese.

Education
Valansten has a large public education system. Most of these are managed by the subdivision they are in. Valanstenian students has a mandatory 12 years of education.

Several universities in Valansten are ranked as some of the best in Oceania. With Kötenberg University and Droden University considered being the best.

Culture
Valanstenian culture is a mix of German and Pacific island culture. Some regions also maintain French and Creole culture.

German Valanstenian culture
Valansten retains a lot of cultural heritage from Germany. One example of this is the Valanstenian military, which still retains some aspects of Prussian virtues.

Native Vauleman culture
Native Vaulemans are separated into different clans (Ohapa). There are currently around 87 Ohapas in Valansten. The largest one being the Wheku, Fakaiki, and Matanaili. Some native Vauleman traditions include climbing to hilltops to give food (usually sweet potatoes) to the spirits of their ancestors. Some tribes worship stones that are scattered throughout the island, as according to some native beliefs, they are the manifestation of their ancestors. Native Vaulemans perform dances to commemorate the land and their ancestors.

During the rule of Chancellor Getner, natives suffer significant oppression with their culture being almost eradicated. Native Vauleman culture made a significant recovery during the years under Chancellor Lesner.