Social: North Torbia

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Social Overview

North Torbia is extremely homogeneous in its language, ethnicity, culture, and beliefs. Life essentially revolves around family and the cult of personality surrounding the nation's leader. This is melded with an overall sense of fear--either of the government or of the threats of South Torbia and the western world.

Brief History

Torbia’s history dates back over two centuries, but North Torbia came out of World War II following its occupation by the belligerent countries. Military planners arbitrarily divided the Torbian portion of Luzon Island roughly in half from Lingayan Gulf to Dingalan Bay, with the US governing the southern portion and Olvana the north from Baguio. Olvana occupied and then governed the region until mid-1946, when Song Yang-Hwan, an Olvanan-trained guerilla fighter and former Olvanan army officer, was placed at the head of the new Torbian communist party.

By 1949, North Torbia was a full-fledged communist state implementing a hardline totalitarian set of policies. The Torbian Workers' Party (WPT) emerged as the dominant political body in the region, with Song Yang-Hwan serving as party head, head-of-state, and head-of government. Private industry was largely seized by the state, farms collectivized, dissenting political parties were suppressed, and power consolidated into a single-party government.

North Torbia invaded South Torbia in 1950 looking to unify the country under a communist government. The U.N. intervened and after several years of fighting, the two countries ended up fairly close to where Torbia was divided in 1945. Olvana continued to support North Torbia politically and financially throughout the 1950s and 1960s.

After the North Torbian economy crashed in 1986, widespread hunger ensued along with political instability. In 1994, Song died and was replaced by his son, Song Ji-Hoon. The new leader faced tremendous difficulties with natural disasters in many parts of the country, global sanctions against his regime, and the worldwide collapse of communism. In most respects, North Torbia lagged behind South Torbia including its culture. While South Torbia looked to modernize itself, North Torbia continued to look to the past. North Torbia places extreme importance on traditional Torbian music, art, and theater. North Torbians feel their cousins in the south have succumbed to the culture of the West.

Song Ji-Hoon died in 2013 and his son, Song Chong-Su took control of the country. The third generation of the Song family to rule North Torbia feels a connection to his grandfather and often tries to emulate him. After Song Chong-Su consolidated his power by eliminating any potential rivals, there are no rivals. Even though Song Chong-Su continues the connection of North Torbia with the past and believes that his country is the true Torbia, The young leader has embraced some facets of the “Imperialist West” including an all-female rock band. To continue his control over North Torbia, Song Chong-Su controls much of the average North Torbian’s social life with mandatory attendance or participation in parades, community projects, and sports.

Demographics

Languages

Torbian is the official language of North Torbia; it is spoken almost universally. Foreign language education is rare and is typically only offered to students who may require it for their careers. The extreme lack of immigration and general closure of the North Torbian society exacerbates language homogeneity. There are, however, at least three identifiable Torbian dialects in North Torbia: the formal dialect, spoken in and around the capital and considered the most prestigious; a working-class dialect that is spoken in remote, primarily central, rural areas, and a dialect heavily influenced by Olvanan, spoken in and around ports that regularly interact with Olvanan merchants and tradesmen.

Ethnicities

North Torbia is one of the most ethnically homogeneous countries on earth; 99.8% of the population is ethnic Torbians. Very limited numbers of other ethnicities come mostly from expatriate populations, primarily guest workers and invitees of the government. The most common non-Torbian ethnicity is Olvanese, followed by Donovian and Belesian.

Religions

North Torbia is officially an atheist state and does not recognize any form of religious freedom or freedom of worship. Information on the religious practices is sporadic and of questionable accuracy. However, it is assumed that major religions found in South Torbia are represented in small numbers, mostly through private and or secret worship. The secret practice of folk religions is also common, based primarily in ancient belief systems that involve worship of ancestors and the family. Families typically hold services and prayer in the home; the government tacitly allows this practice. Actual statistics for North Torbian religious views are unavailable.

Education

Literacy Rate

North Torbia boasts that their country has a 100% literacy for both males and females 15 years of age and older. While probably not true, it is likely that the country does possess a very high literacy rate. 

Educational System

The DPRT enjoys an effective education system, particularly relative to its economic status. Early childhood education and primary school are public and universal; facilities are generally available to all citizens except those in very remote rural areas. The DPRT government places a high priority on education, both in keeping with Communist traditions and viewing public education as a valuable component of political indoctrination. Primary and secondary education usually total 11 years. The same curriculum is taught throughout the country in every school for every grade.

After primary education, most working class citizens move either onto government-sponsored vocational training or directly into the military or workforce. Certain vocational training is considered highly desirable; families use political connections and influence to get children into sought-after career fields.

Educational Attainment

Higher education is sporadic and widely unavailable, but is considered of reasonable quality. Only around 5% of the population receives formal higher education; these are typically the children of party officials, influential bureaucrats, and military officers. There is some provision for academically gifted students from poorer backgrounds as well: these individuals are often trained as doctors, or as engineers and scientists who support military capability development. Less than 5% of the population possesses a university degree or equivalent.

Among the major demographic issues found in North Torbia, a lack of social mobility and post-high school educational opportunities remains a constant theme. While North Torbia claims that the best are selected to attend college, children of government officials or those with connections with those in power are selected to attend higher educational institutions while those without connections are relegated to manual labor jobs. The caste system that operates in North Torbia keeps order, but at expense of finding the best candidates for influential positions. It is difficult, if not impossible, for a North Torbia to move up in the system. On the other hand, a person’s status can drop at the whim of a governmental official who comes to dislike the individual.

As more information is able to enter North Torbia from the outside, the country’s people are slowly beginning to understand that their government has been lying to them for years. Eventually, this could cause a major upheaval. Government policies against large group meetings and the inability for any leader to create a power base without having the current ruler eliminate those that appear to become a potential rival means that creating a ruler for the people to follow very difficult.

Population Density

Overview

The North Torbian population lives in two primary spheres: those in and around the capital of Baguio, and the rural poor. Virtually all wealth and power in the country resides within a few miles of the capital: senior political officials, military officers, and bureaucrats.

Geographically, the population tends to concentrate more toward the western coastal areas, as there is somewhat more economic activity and infrastructure. In general, the better connected a region is to the capital, the more dense the population, and the better off the area is economically and socially.

Within communities, populations typically congregate around the limited critical resources: clean water access to food, and access to employment or transportation. Large and overcrowded government-built communal living structures are the most common living structures, followed by shantytowns or other transient housing just outside of urbanized areas. Independent residences are rare due largely to the poor infrastructure and a lack of transportation (particularly automobiles). These are usually limited to party members or military officers.

Soldier housing has a measurable effect on population distribution due to the size of the North Torbian military. Nearly 5% of the population lives on military installations, many of which are subterranean. These represent significant economic activity areas due to soldier wages, black/grey market activity, and corruption/bribes. North Torbia actively works to suppress development of nonmilitary populations in and around military installations.

Urban Areas

While none of the urban areas are large in total numbers, there is a high population density in some of them. The country’s capital city, Baguio, is quite nice compared to much of the rest of the country. Most of the country’s elite live in Baguio and everyone wants to live there. Governmental policy prevents the citizens from free moving to the capital, but between cities or from the rural areas to urban centers. North Torbians must receive permission to change their residences.

The five largest cities in North Torbia are:

• Baguio, population 518,049
• Tuguegarao, population 230,253
• Aparri, population 218,352
• Santiago, population 202,745
• Laoag, population 194,254    

Rural Areas

Outside of the capital, large swaths of empty land are occasionally broken up by small villages, collective farms, or collectivized industry, populated almost entirely by destitute workers, with small numbers of low level bureaucrats and political officials

Population Movement

There is not much population movement internally or externally in North Torbia. Internally, each person must receive government permission to relocate. This is true whether it is moving locally or across the country. The primary reason for internal movement is for work and sometimes that is directed by the government.

Most North Torbians are not allowed to leave the country for any reason and most cannot afford to visit a foreign country even on a short vacation. The North Torbian government does not trust their citizens to own a passport and most travel outside the country is related to official business. Each year, several dozen North Torbians may attempt to flee the country on makeshift rafts. The current is not conducive for travel, however, to reach Belesia or South Torbia.

Internal Migration

The North Torbian government controls internal movement throughout the entire country. Many parts of the country, especially along the southern border with South Torbia, is off limits to civilians.

Urbanization

Approximately 47.5% of North Torbians live in the urban areas with a standing increase of 1.6% each year. Many urban residents would like to live in the cities, but are restricted by the North Torbia government. To move, not only from city to city but from house to house within the same city or village, the individual must file a request with local government officials. These requests must go up to at least the province level for approval and even higher if it involves changing provinces. Only the chosen, those that have actively supported the current leader’s family for three or more generations, are allowed to live in the capital city. Rural males who are healthy enough to join the military consider it an honor, as it opens up the potential of being able to live in a city or better yet, in Baguio.

Displacement

Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs)

The Torbian War created a mass migration event as both families and individuals moved north or south depending on political affiliations and family connections. The Torbian War also created a significant refugee crisis, with over 500,000 Torbians seeking asylum in other nations around the region. At the same time, Olvanan involvement in the Torbian War moved nearly 300,000 Olvanan citizens into what eventually became North Torbia. A post-war exchange of refugees and Olvanese immigrants was one of the largest mass migrations in world history. The IDPs living in North Torbia at the end of the Torbian War were displaced at least three generations ago and very few of them are still living. If they are alive, they were children during the war. As such, the North Torbian government has directed them to where they are currently living and will not let them move elsewhere. The degree of control that the government exerts precludes nearly all movement by the population. Even in the event of a disaster, the North Torbian bureaucracy still dictates who can move, and where. This bureaucracy, of course, would cease to exist in the event that the North Torbian government were to collapse. If this were to happen, the abrupt end to government services/regulations could lead to a significant portion of the population attempting to move toward needed resources believed to be located in cities or across the border with South Torbia. 

Stateless Personnel

There are few stateless people in North Torbia due to the closed nature of the country’s borders. Outsiders are not welcome.

Migration Cycles and Transhumance

There are no major migration cycles or transhumance in North Torbia. Individuals who work in the animal husbandry industry (e.g. dairy farmers, cattle, pigs, and poultry) may be permitted a degree of local mobility to ensure that their livestock are able to access suitable land for grazing. 

External Migration

The main islands that make up Torbia remained largely ethnically homogeneous throughout its history, despite repeated invasions and occupations by various foreign entities. A close-held Torbian ethnic identity is one of the most significant long-term consequences of these occupations; this ultimately resulted in widespread migration throughout the island prior to the Torbian War, but relatively little emigration or immigration. 

The complex political relationship between North and South Torbia influences migration significantly. Both countries recognize citizens of the other nation as citizens of their own. As a result, migrants are usually given full recognition, along with rights of resettlement. Though today there are typically fewer than a thousand cross-border migrations in a given year, in the event the DPRT government collapses, it is believed that the South Torbian government will face a flood of new citizens, many of which will require medical care, food, and political/social integration.

Inbound

Legal immigration into North Torbia is practically nonexistent. Few foreign visas are issued and nearly all of these are to senior foreign political officials or business executives whom the leadership think may bring money or influence into North Torbia. Illegal immigration, however, is thriving, largely in support of black and grey market activities. Though border security in North Torbia is extremely tight, border officials are easily bribed, allowing immigrants, day workers, and traders to routinely cross the border without incident.

Economic Migration

There is no incentive for outsiders to want to come to North Torbia to work. Everyone in North Torbia has to work as it is a requirement of the government. Those that come to Torbia work for another government, usually for the country’s embassy. Some smuggling takes place, but those in this illegal trade must remain unseen by the North Torbian government. If caught, there are drastic punishments including gulags or death sentences.

Forced Migration

There are no refugees coming to Torbia as the only land border is with South Torbia. This border is closed for movement of civilians between North and South Torbia.

Outbound

Emigration from North Torbia is tightly controlled, as it has been throughout the country’s history. Citizens are generally not allowed to leave the country legally unless they are given specific permission by the government; illegal emigration is considered treasonous and is punishable by imprisonment, torture, and or execution. Nonetheless, thousands of North Torbians illegally escape every year, typically requesting asylum status in any one of a number of other countries (most commonly South Torbia, Olvana, Australia, and the United States). These countries routinely accept North Torbian defectors. Defection numbers vary significantly year-to-year: in years of lean food availability or severe government crackdown, refugee numbers predictably increase

Economic Migration

Limited legal emigration is allowed, primarily in the form of guest workers. Approximately 70,000 North Torbian guest workers are currently abroad, with the majority residing in Olvana and Donovia. Guest workers are chosen specifically for their loyalty to the party and rarely defect.They usually live in a dormitory provided by the North Torbian government and fed in a communal cafeteria. In exchange, the guest worker provides 90% of the money they make to the North Torbian government.

Forced Migration

There is no forced migration by North Torbians as the government needs as many workers as they can get to support the regime. While some feel they were “forced” to try to escape North Torbia, it was due to political differences rather than by physical force by the state or another entity.

Culture

Dimensions of National Culture

There are studies that show that there are six basic cultural traits, or dimensions, that can be used to better understand a national culture. While these studies are not encompassing they can provide a foundational understanding of how populations may differ. Power distance is whether the society accepts unequal distribution of power or they seek to more evenly distribute the power. Individualism is whether the society desires each person to be a separate entity or if the individual is just a cog in the societal wheel. Uncertainty avoidance is whether the society tolerates ambiguity in life or wants life to be more certain. Some societies look long-term and save while others do not see the need because the future planned may never arrive.. Restrained societies live to work while indulgent societies work to live. Some societies encourage individuals to be competitive and do their best while other societies value cooperation over individual success.

Power Distance

With a Hofstede score of 95, North Torbia is on the extreme end of the scale meaning that the people accept the fact that power within the country is distributed unequally. Subordinates in North Torbia normally have no recourse to abuse by superiors. This could include physical abuse and even rape. The people are extremely influenced by authority, titles, and status so will naturally obey orders given by those in position of authority over them. There is a definite caste system in North Torbia and it is difficult to improve one’s position in the society. It is easy to drop down in the society, however, if the individual displeases those in power.

Individualism vs. Collectivism

North Torbia scores a 17 on the Hofstede scale meaning that the people are inclined to promote “we” over “me”. Countries that score low usually act in the interests of the group and not the individual. Hiring decisions and promotions in companies are often based on connections—family or personal. While bribery is officially against the law in the country, it is a common occurrence in order to get better housing, job, or other perks. Most employees are commitment to the company they work for, but not necessarily their colleagues. Most North Torbians are warm to those in their “in-groups”, but hostile to those that are not. Personal relationships are usually more important than the bottom line in most companies. The government helps this by creating a never-ending anti-American and anti-South Torbian propaganda campaign.

Uncertainty Avoidance (Tolerance for Ambiguity)

With a score of 90 on the Hofstede scale, North Torbian is one of the highest societies in the world for trying to avoid uncertainty. The governmental control of the people from where they live to where they work reduces the number of decisions that regular North Torbians must make. A nation-wide education program with the same curriculum in all schools and mandatory military service for almost all young adults gives North Torbians few options about their future. A North Torbian life and career can almost be written from where and into what sphere the baby is born.

Long-Term Orientation vs. Short-Term Orientation

The North Torbian score of 20 means that the society prefers time-honored traditions and view any changes as suspicious. The focus for those outside the upper 25% of the country is on the short-term—where is my next meal coming from? Many things in North Torbia are “free” to the people including education and even some food (before the famines began and crop issues). To avoid starvation, some rural people even ate their seeds for the next year’s crops meaning they had nothing to plant—making the local governmental authorities very upset.

Indulgence vs. Restraint

North Torbia scores a 15 on the Hofstede score for this trait, a very low score. Societies with low scores, like North Torbia, are normally somewhat cynical and pessimistic wondering what bad thing will happen to them next. As such, they place a restraints on their children and do not allow them freedom to move beyond the sphere in which they were born. North Torbian parents tell their children to control their desires and delay gratification until some future, ambiguous date. The societal norms also help with these restraints, both in childhood and then later as an adult.

Competitiveness vs. Consensus

With a score of 35, North Torbia is on the lower end of the Hofstede scoring system. Managers want consensus with people valuing equality, solidarity, and quality of life in their lives. While most societies with this low score “work to live” instead of “living to work,” the difficulty of life for the average North Torbian is a constant struggle to survive. While these types of societies normally like free time to pursue other passions, the constant quest for most North Torbian’s next meal makes this almost impossible. Urban North Torbians work six days a week while those in the urban areas often work seven days week because not doing so could endanger putting food on the table. Even with all this work, many North Torbians will only do the minimum required of them in order to receive their next paycheck or ration.

Cultural Norms and Values

Cultural Dimensions of North Torbia
Confucian Cultural Roots	Communist Ideology	North Torbian Institutions
Hierarchical Power Relationship	Egalitarianism Democracy	Supreme Leadership
		Personality Cult
Group Standards Family Focus	Class Struggle Competition	One Party Rule
		Family First
		Personal Interaction
		Obedience
Stability Harmony	Revolution Solidarity	Mass Mobilization
		Surveillance

Confucian Cultural Roots: Torbian culture begins with the acceptance of the Confucian way of life hundreds of years ago. Over the last hundred years, the number of North Torbians that actually practice the religion of Confucianism has decline quite precipitously. This was a direct effort by the North Torbian government to replace the ideas of Confucius with the communist ideology of Marx. This led to the development of North Torbian institutions that affect every public and private part of a North Torbian person’s life from the moment they are born to the day they die.

Hierarchical Power Relationship

Confucianism accepted the traditional inequitable distribution of wealth and power within a culture. While socialism and communism both portray that everyone is the same, we all know this is not really true. North Torbia even claims they are democratic because every adult is allowed to vote in their election. There is just one problem—there is only a single candidate on the ballot. 

The North Torbian government continued the Confucian system that there is a hierarchy in society and everyone must conform to staying within its own limited caste. On top of this, the North Torbian government made their country’s founder into a God that was infallible in his decision making. This cult of personality place the North Torbian leader above everyone else in the country and he alone decided what each person needed. He then made sure that the person received it. The person received nothing, then that was what the person deserve. This cult of an infallible leader is now into its third generation.

Group Standards and Family Focus

The Confucian philosophy focused on group norms to reduce strife in the culture and placed an extreme emphasis around the family. The North Torbian government has continued this cultural trait, but with a twist. Using the communist idea of a “class struggle,” the North Torbian government has made their country into an “us versus them” mentality for its people. The rest of world except for a few (Olvana and Donovia) is fighting a war against North Torbia and does not want to see the country succeed. North Torbia must fight back in order to survive. These “bullies” ganging up on North Torbia include a number of countries, especially South Torbia and the U.S. 

North Torbia still places an emphasis on the family bringing that Confucian cultural trait into the present. Due to the economic misfortunes of the bottom three-quarters of the people, the best outlet most of these families is often just a small family picnic. When one has so little in life, one takes pleasures in the most simple of things. 

Within the class struggle propaganda and the emphasis on family, the North Torbia government created a one-party state where the country still “democratically” selects the same leader over every few years. Using the family to eliminate dissent, the North Torbian government will throw two or three generations of a family into a gulag if they even speak out against the country. Often, another family member will turn in someone who denounces the current regime in order to spare the rest of family imprisonment or worse. Personal connections are often used to make the limited advances that can be made within one’s own caste. The North Torbian government has created a state where the people are obedient to the state and most of its citizens accept their role as a servant to the country.

Stability and Harmony

Confucianism believes in the stability of the universe and maintaining harmony in the world. The North Torbian government emphasizes that the communist revolution must take place in order to reach stability and harmony sought. To do this, the North Torbian people must be united as one entity and show its solidarity to the rest of the world. This means that every North Torbian, no matter their age, must be willing to fight in the revolution in order to reach the next step of stability and harmony. The North Torbian government does this by having universal military service for almost all abled bodied males and females upon completion of high school. Anyone that has ever served in the military is liable to recall and even those that did not serve in any branch must be willing to step up to defend the country if their nation calls them to do so. 

To reach the goals of stability and harmony, the North Torbian people must look after each other in order to maintain the solidarity to complete the revolution. Every North Torbian neighborhood has a watcher, usually an elderly woman, which keeps an eye on 10-20 households. She then reports to her supervisor anyone that is plotting against the state or even speaking out against anyone in the government. This chain of command goes up to the various levels of government. The North Torbian government acts on the hearsay reports and then sends in the police to arrest those in dissent against the government. Those arrested are often tried and their prison sentences carried out within days ranging from a few days in a local prison, to a sentence up to life in a gulag, or even death. In certain cases, three generations of family members will be sentenced with the offender as the North Torbians believe that “bad blood” runs in a family so there is guilt not by association, but by familial ties.

Centers of Social Power

With no organized religion and the government controlling everyone’s lives, the family is the only center of social power remaining in North Torbia. Even then, family unity is not as it is in most other countries. Even family members must be wary of actually speaking one’s mind as children will turn in parents for saying negative things about the North Torbia government. To protect the rest of the family from governmental repercussions, one family member will turn in another in hopes of the authorities sparing the rest of the family from a dissident.

Communication

The North Torbian government attempts to control what information that its people receive. The government controls every means of communication except for individual communication between people. Even then, North Torbians do not know who to trust so they are guarded in their communication with all strangers and even most of their family.

Traditional Methods and Symbolism

Since its founding, North Torbia has attempted to control the messages to its people by governmental control of all media—newspapers, radio, and television. All of these entities are ran by the government and what is written in the newspapers, heard on the radio, or seen on the television has been approved by governmental officials. The North Torbian people have been exposed to a propaganda campaign that dates back to the start of the Torbia War, if not before. Children from an early age are inundated with propaganda posters that show the atrocities committed by South Torbia and its allies during the Torbian War. The children are taught to hate outsiders and look forward to joining the military as almost every child must do upon graduation from high school.

Role of Technology and Media

With the arrival of the communication age, North Torbia has found it more difficult to control the message that its citizens receive. While the North Torbian government limits who can access the Internet, usually only selected government personnel and university researchers, those that have communication to the outside world continues to increase. Radios smuggled into North Torbia or dropped from balloons or airplanes over North Torbia, allows those living close to the South Torbian border to pick up channels other than the ones on the single-channel North Torbian radios. Smuggled South Torbian cell phones also allows those within the range of South Torbian cell tower to access the Internet without government approval. This new technology is allowing some of the North people to finally realize the truth about the outside world and their own country as well. 

Social Impact of OE Hazzards

Due to the inability of the government to provide the necessary resources, disease and natural disasters can impact the North Torbian population to a degree that does not usually occur in other countries.

Disease

There are six primary major diseases in North Torbia. Many of these diseases occur in both urban and rural areas, but are far more deadly in the rural areas where medical assistance is less available. These diseases are bacterial diarrhea, protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis B, malaria, Tuberculosis, and rabies. While the government claims to have “free” healthcare for the people, most of the hospitals and medical clinics are short the necessary supplies, vaccinations, and cures for these types of illnesses. Often, the doctors will resort to using traditional herbal remedies with some of them going into the mountains to collect the plants to create their own medicines.

Bacterial Diarrhea

There are many different types of bacteria that can cause diarrhea and most enter the body through contaminated food or water. This disease is more prevalent in the rural areas of North Torbia although the country’s larger cities are not immune to it. Most of those affected in the urban areas are under five years old and in the poorest sections of the cities, often because they cannot afford to seek out treatment. 

Protozoal Diarrhea

This is an intestinal infection that comes from fecal matter through soiled hands, or ingestion of food or water contaminated with feces. Basically, people do not wash their hands after defecating, eat unwashed food contaminated with feces, or drink feces contaminated water. Since North Torbia uses human feces to fertilize their crops, the vegetables and fruit produced should be cleaned really well. Symptoms are normally watery stools, but there are cases with fatty or mucus stools. There are cures for protozoal diarrhea, but most North Torbian medical facilities do not stock the medicine. Only the best hospitals for the very wealthy and powerful North Torbians would have modern treatment methods.

Hepatitis B

This strain of hepatitis is spread when blood, semen, or other body fluids from an infected person enters the body of an unaffected person. There is a vaccine that can prevent hepatitis B, but there is no cure. Most adults that come down with hepatitis B fully recover. Symptoms of hepatitis B include fever; fatigue; loss of appetite; nausea; vomiting; abdominal pain; dark urine; clay-colored stools; joint pan; and jaundice. Symptoms will not show until 60 to 150 days after exposure. About 25% of all children and 15% of adults infected by hepatitis B will die prematurely from cirrhosis or liver cancer. Normal treatment for hepatitis B is antiviral medications, but these are not available for most North Torbians due to lack of medical resources in the country. After recovery from the initial bout, most North Torbians go back to work as normal. Their life expectancy has dropped, however, due to contracting the disease.

Malaria

This is a mosquito borne disease, but it is not caused by a virus or bacteria. While there are a number of treatments that can prevent, interrupt, or treat a malarial infection, most North Torbians cannot afford them. Malaria can go into remission on its own and an infected person can build up some temporary immunity. If bitten again by an infected mosquito, the victim may only suffer mild symptoms or maybe none at all. 

Tuberculosis

Tuberculosis (TB) is another disease normally found in the rural areas of North Torbia more often than the urban areas. TB is caused by a bacteria that affects the lungs. Over 25% of the world’s population has latent TB meaning that the person is infected by the TB bacteria, but are not yet ill with the disease and cannot transmit the disease. Those infected with the TB bacteria have a 5-15% lifetime risk of falling ill from TB. People with compromised immune systems or use tobacco have a higher risk for TB. A very high percentage of the North Torbian population, maybe over 60%, smoke tobacco. Males are more likely to smoke tobacco and therefore more susceptible to TB. North Torbia does not have the funds or medical resources to treat TB. The issue is that those that do have symptoms of TB are still capable of spreading the disease when they cough or just have conversations with others.

Rabies

This is a viral infection transmitted between warm-blood animals including animals (including dogs) to humans. Rabies is 100% fatal in animals if untreated. Normally, the transmission occurs in the form of a bite as the disease is carried in the animal’s salvia. The first symptoms are similar to the flu and can last several days. These symptoms are fever; headaches; nausea; vomiting; agitation; anxiety; confusion; hyperactivity; difficulty swallowing; excessive salivation; hallucinations; insomnia; and even partial paralysis. Rabies can be treated and is normally done with a single dose of immune globulin and four doses of rabies vaccine taken over a 14-day period. In the past, these four doses were in a shot to the stomach, but that is no longer the case and instead it is given in the arm. The issue in North Torbia is a lack of vaccine due to lack of medical resources. Without treatment, the victim will die.

Natural Disaster

North Torbia suffers from the same potential natural disasters as South Torbia as part of the “ring of fire” around the Pacific Ocean.

Typhoons

This Pacific hurricane normally occurs between the months of May and October each year. Often they are small and do not cause much damage. When they are huge, the typhoon can cause major damage. The North Torbia government then orders the people in the area to help clean up the destruction and try to get the area, especially if it is agricultural in nature, back to normal again. The North Torbia government will send in military units to assist and sometimes even send elements form the capital city to help out in certain circumstances.

Floods

Typhoons often cause floods, but they can also occur in North Torbia due to torrential rain. Rural areas often have poor infrastructure to deal with the heavy water runoff. When this occurs, the locals are ordered by the government to help repair the damage along with support from the North Torbian military.

Earthquakes

There are about 22 active volcanoes in North Torbia, a source for most of the earthquakes, but there has been no major eruptions for over 30 years. If there is an earthquake, it is likely that the North Torbian government will respond in a similar manner to other natural disasters—locals are ordered to help along with limited support from the military and the federal government.

Tsunamis

Earthquakes or volcanic eruptions in other parts of the Pacific or even underwater can cause a tsunami (giant tidal wave) to hit a landmass up to several hundred miles away from the origination point. North Torbian coastal areas are most vulnerable and these are more likely to hit North Torbia than South Torbia as the northern part of the island group is less protected by other islands than the southern portion. While the tidal wave can cause massive damage with a direct hit, they also help cause additional flooding. North Torbia does not participate in many international agencies so it is unlikely they would receive early enough warning to get its people on the coast to safety.

Social Volatility/Fragility

Social Fault Lines and Friction Points

The major fault line is the continued repression of the North Torbian people by the government. The North Torbian people treat the president and his family like a God. With additional outside information coming in to the people, how long they will support the current regime is unknown. Every time the experts think something (sanctions, natural disaster without much assistance) will cause to turn the people against the government, the government issues a call to tighten their belts, continue the struggle, and demonstrate self-sufficiency. And the North Torbian people obey. Why is a question that the outsiders cannot answer. It is important to note that when the average North Torbian encounters information from outside sources they often times cannot fathom the implications. It isn’t simply an issue of perspective, but rather it is an issue regarding their entire world-view. Accepting information from an outside source as truth is an act that requires them to simultaneously reject the “truths” that have previously shaped and informed their entire lives. Often times North Torbian’s will accept abhorrent conditions, because it is the only condition they have known and they have been taught that any suffering they must endure is for their country.

Criminal Activity

There is little major criminal activity (murder, major theft) in North Torbia as the government intensely monitors the people. On the other hand, corruption is rampant with bribes being paid to government officials to look the other way so that smugglers, black marketers, and other minor criminals can continue to operate to survive. Rape of women is almost a standard practice in parts of the North Torbian society. Some work supervisors, due to the control over their subordinates, are known to extort sex from young female workers in exchange for additional food or an easier job at the factory. Rape of women in the military is common in some units and it is estimated that over 20% of North Torbian soldiers have suffered sexual assault including rape. There is little cybercrime because most of the country cannot access the Internet. The North Torbian government controls hackers, however, that attempt to infiltrate other countries’ data systems or conduct thievery like stealing bitcoin.

Cultural Approach to Punishment

The North Torbian approach to punishment is very draconian and very physically. This starts early in school where school teachers will use switches on the legs of unruly children. The teachers often encourage other students to “correct” students that seem to be thinking on their own instead of just echoing what the teacher taught them. Fighting among students is normal as they think “only the strong survive.”

Local Jails

Criminals are quickly tried, convicted, and sentenced within days of being caught. Death sentences are carry out, usually with no appeals, within a week of the final sentence by the judge. Many are sent to local jails or national gulags. Those that speak out against the regime are arrested along with two generations of their family—the parents and children—as the North Torbians believe that “bad” runs in the family’s blood. For minor offenses, the offender and their family may be sent to a local prison if the sentence is less than three months.

Gulags

If longer than three months, the offender and family would be sent to one of the gulags. Some gulags are for true criminals and others are for political prisoners. In either, life is rough with hard labor for everyone. Most offenders will die before their sentence is over due to the malnutrition from poor food and the forced labor. Due to the poor diet, most women in these gulags stopped menstruating. If a woman gets pregnant, they often lose the baby. For those that give birth, the child may live in the prison for the rest of their life depending on the crime of their parent. While these children will go to “school” with the children of the guards, they will stop their education at age 12 and begin a life of hard labor.

Human Rights

North Torbia is arguably has the worst record of any country in the world when it comes to respecting human rights. On the Freedom House civil liberty criteria system, their total score is only 4 points out of 100 including 0/40 for political rights and 2/60 for civil liberties. North Torbia is a one-party state led by a dictator. The North Torbian government conducts surveillance of its people, makes arbitrary arrests, and operates a system of gulags for criminal and political prisoners. 

Almost the entire North Torbian government is involved in some form of corruption. While there are “elections” in North Torbia, there is only approved candidates and all candidates belong to the same party. The citizens must vote in these farcical elections or face negative consequences. Bribery is rampant at all levels of government and while some officials may face charges, it is because they overstepped their bounds or upset one of their superiors. 

North Torbians have few freedoms of expression or belief. There is no independent media and what is written in the newspapers; played on the radio; or broadcasted on the television are all controlled by the government. There is no religious, academic, or political freedoms in North Torbia. North Torbians are not free to assemble, whether it is in protest or to form a union. 

There is no rule of law in North Torbia as practice in other countries. The judiciary is corrupt and most cases have pre-determined outcomes. There is no due process in civil or criminal matters. The accused is presumed guilty in criminal cases. The North Torbian government will use physical force, torture, forced labor, and public executions to ensure compliance by their people. 

There are no individual rights in North Torbia. The people cannot change residences without permission of the government; the government directs what job each person will do; and how much as well as what type of education each child/young adult will receive. There is no individual home ownership in the country, but sometimes people will “pay” (bribe) their way for larger or better housing. Private businesses are frowned upon and while local markets are allowed to exist, the government sometimes even shuts them down. 

Violence is a way of life in North Torbia. Children learn to fight when they are young as the strong are often rewarded in school. This continues into adulthood where all males and most females have to serve in the armed forces for a period of time. The government does not investigate domestic violence considering it a family issue. Violence and sexual assault against women occurs in the military, at work, and sometimes even in the education system.

Demographic Statistics Chart

Social Statistic	North Torbia
Primary Languages (%)	Torbian: 100%
Ethnic Groups (%)	Torbian: 99.8% Olvanese: 0.2%
Major Religions (%)	Officially irreligious Roman Catholic and Protestant beliefs and practices are believed to occur in small numbers and extreme secrecy, as are indigenous faiths.
Literacy Rate (Older Than 15 in %)	100% (claimed by government) Male: 100% Female 100%
Age Distribution (%)	Age 0-14 15-54 (Military Age) 55-64 65+	Male 21.14 58.64 10.95 9.27	Female 19.98 57.33 11.21 11.48
Median Age	Overall: 31.1 Males: 30.0 Females: 32.3
Population	12,981,493
Annual Growth Rate	+0.69%
Birth Rate Per 1,000 People	16.4
Death Rate Per 1,000 People	15.3
Urban Population (%)	47.5%
Annual Urbanization Rate	1.6%
Infant Mortality Rate Per 1000 Live Births	61.3
Life Expectancy At Birth (Years)	68.6 Males: 65.8 Females: 71.3
Major Diseases In OE	Bacterial diarrhea; protozoal diarrhea; hepatitis B; malaria; tuberculosis; and rabies