Shelstein

The Free Land of Shelstein, commonly referred to as simply Shelstein, is the current president of Christians United. Shelstein is classified as a right-wing utopia, with a strong economy and excellent political freedoms. Shelstein was elected the first President of Christians United on April 23, 2013, defeating the eventual Secretary of Defense, Stomalia.

Shelstein is lead by President Shelton Moss. The nation currently has 12 World Assembly badges, including Top 10% of the World for Most Influential, Top 5% of the World for Most Endorsements, and more.

Foundation
Shelstein was formed by pilgrims attempting to escape religious persecution from cross-ocean country Sheltopolis in the late 19th century. The pilgrims, of around 300,000 strong, endured a 3 month ocean travel before arriving upon the soon-to-be nation and claiming it on April 1, 1912.

Throughout the first 50 to 60 years of existence, Shelstein existed quietly among neighboring nations. It had a very small military, but was a priority to much powerful colonizing countries. The small government was focused on agriculture and mining, when the profession grew more popular.

Expansion Era
Around the late 1950's and early 1960's, the country experienced a boom in size growth. A massive chunk of 180,000 square miles was purchased from Afrinesia, land that was seemingly useless and unneeded. The purchase, at 10,000,000 dollars, increased the size of Shelstein to 240,000 square miles, and historians claim the population skyrocketed to nearly 5 million. Bits and pieces of land were purchased one by one to accumulate the present-day 272,000 square miles. Each purchase proved to be wise, as gold and other valuable minerals were found unexpectedly abundant in those areas.

Industrial Growth
As land was increasing, so was economic production. The mining industry skyrocketed as it does to the present day, mainly because of the gold, silver, and copper findings, along with a common urge to establish a non-foreign dependency on coal and oil.

Also in the 20th century, the Shelsteinian Military was becoming stronger and larger. Thousands enlisted, and many more entered the national guard. Arms manufacturing became a priority, and it proved costly in conflicts involving the nation during the 1980's.

Modern Era
In the present day, Shelstein continues to focus on Defense and arms manufacturing. Current President Shelton Moss stated in his inaugural speech that "defense is key in letting other nations know you are prepared to defend yourself".

Nearly all of the Shelstein economy is run by the private sector. While defense is the main government priority, law and order and the environment are also concerns, followed by industry, spirituality, and education. Uranium mining and woodchip exports also dominate industrial factors. Shelstein is notable for an overall strong economy, while maintaining decent civil rights and excellent freedoms.

Geography
Shelstein is located in the northeast hemisphere of the Christians United region. Separating it to the south from The Great Constantinople is the Moss Bay; its one and only land border is to the east, on a 2,000 mile strip of land with Afrinesia. The capital of Lexington is located in central Shelstein, with other major cities including Gulfport on the southwestern end and Lakewood in the southeast, near Afrinesia.

Politics
Shelstein is dominated by 2 major political parties, the Liberal Progressivist Party (LPP) and the Conservative Traditionalist Party (CTP). The two-party system has dominated Shelstein since the early 20th century, when the nation was becoming more industrialized and modern. The LPP takes a government-centered approach to politics, in belief that the government should direct citizens to the next step in their lives. Historically, LPP presidents have raised taxes, especially to upper-income people, in an effort to enrich government wealth. In modern times, progressivists have fought for universal health care, among other things, such as repealing bans on gay marriage and abortion, stem cell research, a regulated economy, increased alternative energy sources, strict gun laws, and fewer immigration restrictions.

The Conservative Traditionalists, as their name would suggest, strive for a far more traditional view of politics. Current President Shelton Moss, a member of the CT himself, states that he believes in a "free market economy, where government has few restrictions on the people and business". The CTP also supports a free market health care system, and has many other stances opposing those of the LPP. Some of those beliefs include an outlaw of gay marriage and abortion in most cases, the right to own a weapon, encouraged oil drilling, and strict border laws, to go along with many others. The CTP has dominated Shelstein throughout the nation's history, with over 80% of Shelsteinian presidents being CT's.

Presidents of Shelstein serve 4 year terms. They may run for re-election an unlimited number of times, provided they get the required number of delegate votes for party candidate. For every million citizens Shelstein has, the nation is granted one new Congress member. Currently, there are over 800 members of Congress. Members serve 2 year terms, and may run for re-election only once, though they can participate in non-consecutive terms.

Demographics
Of the 2 billion or so Shelsteinian citizens, about 73% are white. The largest minority group are black African-Shelsteinians, holding in at around 20%. The other 7% consists of Hispanics and Asians, and a very small percentage of other minorities. It is estimated that there are only around 1.5 million illegal immigrants, mostly consisting of Afrinesians.
 * Largest Cities
 * Lexington – 7% of population
 * Gulfport – 3.2% of population
 * Lakewood – 0.7% of population
 * Hattiesburg – 0.11% of population

Language
English is the predominant and official language of Shelstein, spoken by 97% of all the citizens. All new immigrants are taught the language, as required by the federal government for public schools. Since Shelstein was colonized by English-speaking Afrinesians, there is no formerly spoken or ancient language. It is estimated that 0.3% of language spoken is by minorities in their native language, usually Spanish and Chinese.

Religion
The Shelsteinian Constitution guarantees citizens freedom of religion, thus the country has no official religion. However, Christianity dominates the country, accounting for 58% of the population. Judaism and Islam are the second and third most popular religions, accounting for 12% and 6%, respectively. About 15% of the country is not religious, including atheists and agnostics. The other 9% makes up for many minority religions.

Military
Shelstein maintains a strong military, and increasingly so under current President Shelton Moss. About 29% of government expenditures go to defense. As of August 2013, there are around 5.7 million citizens in the military of Shelstein. The army budget is highest at $760 billion. The Navy and Air Force have a $130 billion and $380 billion budget, respectively. This totals the military spending at around $1.27 trillion.

There are around 3.7 million citizens in the Shelsteinian Army, 1.4 million in the Air Force, and around 570,000 in the Navy. As of August 2013, Shelstein has 291 Army divisions, 45 Navy squadrons, and 112 air wings. The Shelstein Military is all volunteer.

Science and Technology
Shelstein has been among the Christians United leaders in science and technology ever since the science "boom" of the 1980's. Researchers finally found ways to send rockets to the Moon, and Shelstein has made 5 trips since the first one on January 1, 1986. The event was broadcasted live and watched by nearly 60% of the nation. However, in 2011, President Moss focused his attention on planets and stars outside the solar system, and has sent the Shelstein Assocation of Aeronautics (SAA) working on building satellites and rockets capable of doing so, rather than further exploring the Moon.

Shelstein has quickly developed modern technologies since then, such as television, the internet, and communication services.

Energy
President Moss, ever since his election in 2008, has encouraged the country to become more energy independent, and not rely heavily on foreign energy sources. Since his election, coal and natural gas have combined for 78% of all energy sources in the country, and only around 20% nonrenewable. Shelstein is known for its massive coal and oil reserves, which are estimated to both last until the late 22nd Century.

Education
Education in Shelstein is controlled by the federal government and the local government for public schools. Shelstein is not notoriously known for its investment in education, but it maintains a decent status. President Moss is an encourager of voucher programs, and proclaims his aim to find the best possible education for children of Shelstein. There are approximately 600 4-year colleges in the country, and an additional 200 community colleges. There are an estimated 5,500 elementary, middle, and high schools, both private and public. However, private schools account for around 58% of those.