Fengjiang

Phoenicia (Phoenician: 鳳國, : Fèngguó), formally referred to as the Sublime Imperial Realms and Dominions of the Virtuous Vermilion Crown (德赤冠崇高帝國領地, Dé Chìguàn Chónggāo Dìguó Lǐngdì), is a country in Serica. Clockwise from its metropole, Phoenicia borders Arsytia in the north along the Serican Demilitarized Zone, XXX, and possesses a maritime border with Buhan in the southwest. It is the world's most populous country with a population exceeding 1.7 billion people. The national capital of Phoenicia is Fengtianmen where its ruling dynasty, the Imperial House of the Vermilion Crown resides, though its most populous city and financial center is Yutseng, with the cities of Chuto, Liugam, and Kaijing ranking close after.

Phoenicia is one of the oldest in the world at nearly 3,000 years old, the Fengquan River (鳳泉河) valleys from which it originates considered one of the. In its earliest form, Phoenicia first emerged as the Matriarchy of Phoenicia after its mythical founder and first Scion of the Phoenix, Yanshizu, united the disparate city states of the inner river valleys through war and diplomacy around the 1000s BCE. As technology advanced and agriculture became widespread, political power became centered on the vassal landholding princes instead of the ruling lord, which only held religious authority, they all nominally served - beginning the Princely Era (900-100 BCE). These princedoms would eventually be unified under the Yi dynasty after a unification war beginning in 94 BCE, who declared themselves the regents of the Scion and ruled in their place, even while the Scion's authority was only nominal. This regency era would last for nearly a millennium (73 BCE - 900s CE), seeing Phoenicia's immense cultural and economic development just as it finally became centralized under a singular authority.

Historians recognize the Regency to have transformed into the Empire of Phoenicia after it expanded out of the confines of the Fengquan valleys and mounted a war of assimilation against the neighboring Kingdom of Yu, a trend which would continue for the better part of four centuries as a series of regents supported expansionist drives that saw Phoenicia become the foremost political, military, and economic power in the region. While looked upon fondly as a by Phoenicians due to contemporary world-leading advances in technology - notably the invention of, , , and  - foreign historians have noted the Empire to have been highly  to non-Phoenicians and even repressive at times to Phoenician citizens, seeing the development of a  to bolster economic output. By the later centuries of imperial rule, the Phoenician economy had grown increasingly reliant on slavery, fueling corruption and multiple poorly planned wars which eventually led to significant unrest and revolts across large parts of the population. This would lead to a gradual erosion of central imperial power, prompting several independence movements and self-proclaimed inheritors to the imperial throne which culminated in the Great Fragmentation (1303-1810) - a five-centuries long which amounted to over 100 million casualties. This period of war would be vastly influential to Phoenician culture even until the modern day, additionally incentivizing massive technological and industrial advancements which only contributed further to the war's devastation. This civil war would only end in 1810, after the five major remaining belligerents came together in the Scion's capital of Fengtianmen and were nominally vassalized as her Five Great Houses in the First Fengtianmen Congress, ending the war.

Nominally under the absolutist rule of the Phoenician Dynasty and its theocratic monarch, the Scion of the Divine Phoenix Ascendant, since the events of the Sixteenth Fengtianmen Congress, Phoenicia has seen an extreme corporatization and privatization of all levels of government and society, promulgated by corporations (national champions) backed by their respective Great Houses. Incited by the political upheaval resulting from the Great Serican War in the late 1940s, a political conspiracy by a group of influential corporations known as the Phoenician Ten would eventually dissolve the vassalized constituent statelets of Phoenicia and uniting the nation under the de facto rule of the Corporate Forum - a body of corporations and conglomerates which now rule in place of traditional governments. While incredibly in economic terms, corporate rule in Phoenicia is widely considered to be highly, seeing the widespread and systemic erosion of  as the ruling conglomerates exercise a nearly total control over the public and private lives of those in Phoenician society.

Phoenicia, with its great economic, technological, and military capability, is one of the two superpowers of Tellurus - leading the GOCE alliance against the TTO in the ongoing Cold War. It ranks as the largest economy in the world in both nominal GDP and purchasing power parity. The private militaries of each of its ruling conglomerates rival those of regional powers, and when combined under the Vermilion Banner Armies, is the largest and among the strongest globally. It is a founding member of the Atomic Ban Convention (ABC), and possesses a significant arsenal of atomic weapons under the control of its ruling conglomerates. A global leader in, , and industries, the country is one of the foremost pioneers of technology in the world, notably having established a permanent presence on the two moons of Tellurus and achieved human landings on the planets of Adrestia, Thrax, and Aerehtyc. The culture of Phoenicia is well known around the world, and though it may have its detractors, its cultural influence is felt in, , , , and all around the world.

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Government and politics
There exists no formal in Phoenicia, the fundamental rulings which are used to guide the political and legal direction set by the various Fengtianmen Congresses that have occurred decennially since the first in 1810. These congresses have traditionally been decennial congregations of the powerbrokers and kingmakers of the nation, originally the Five Great Houses which ruled regional cliques in Phoenicia, but since the congress of 1960, now the chairmen and directors of the Phoenicia's greatest coityuns (business conglomerates) - all congresses presided over by the Scion of the Divine Phoenix Ascendant, the deific monarch of Phoenicia since antiquity. The aggregate of all decisions and rulings made in these congresses (if not contradicted by later congresses of more authority) form the basis of an.

Although Phoenicia officially recognizes itself as a  headed by the Scion believed to be the descendant of the deific and mythological Phoenix, who in turn belongs to the Imperial House of the Vermilion Crown, since 1960, the Corporate Forum has become the de facto executive, legislative, and judicial authority in Phoenicia - a model known as Phoenician corporatocracy. The Forum, as of 2022, is comprised of 462 coityuns belonging to not just Phoenicia, but to nations across the GOCE - an international alliance headed by Phoenicia.

Imperial House
The Scion of the Divine Phoenix Ascendant is the of Phoenicia, and the de jure absolute ruler of the nation and  of its armed forces for life, yet holds little to no functional power in Phoenician politics - leading to the general consideration that the Scion is a figurehead monarch. Despite this fact, Phoenicians nonetheless pay respect and fealty to the Scion as if she were a divine monarch, most notable in interactions between coityuns and the Imperial House - all Fengtianmen Congresses and major summits of the Corporate Forum (the nation's informal legislature) are held in the royal capital of Fengtianmen, and must be presided over by the Scion by custom. All such congregations are commenced by blessings from the Scion, followed by a lengthy pledge of fealty and kowtowing from the attendants.

The royal residence of the Imperial House is the Yuedi Phoenician Monastery located in Fengtianmen, and has been since the House's founding around the 1000s BCE. Since antiquity, the title of Scion of the Divine Phoenix Ascendant has been hereditary, passed down via a, meaning that the Vermilion Crown will always be passed down to legitimate daughters of the preceding Scion with no possibility of succession by male descendants, with. If the preceding Scion had no daughters, the Vermilion Crown will be passed up the family tree to that Scion's mother, and passing the crown onto a surviving daughter of that mother (typically a younger sister of the preceding Scion). This process is repeated up the family tree if no surviving daughters can still be found. The to the Vermilion Crown must be of age before ascending to the throne, which in Phoenician terms is the age of 20. If upon the death of a Scion, the Heir Apparent is not of age, the next person in the line of succession will be declared Crown Regent, serving as the substitute monarch (though with limited religious authority) in a period of until the Heir Apparent comes of age.

The primary authority held by the Scion and his Imperial House is in religious and cultural affairs, as the Scion is the religious head of the Infernal Cult, the national religion of Phoenicia and a major influence on Phoenician culture. Customarily, all major Phoenician ceremonies must include the blessings of the Scion, whereas more minor events are presided over by lesser members of the Imperial House. Despite this supposed authority, in consideration of the vastly superior political power of the Corporate Forum when compared to that of the Imperial House's, the latter serves a mostly ceremonial role in Phoenician society.

Corporate Forum
The ruling body of Phoenicia is the Corporate Forum, an intercorporate assembly of major coityuns from around the GOCE. Representatives from its 462 members (as of 2022) congregate at the Phoenician Grove in annual summits, settle internal disputes, deliberate over policy, and decide the future course of Phoenician geopolitics. While its decisions are only binding for its member conglomerates, practically through a hierarchy of associations and contracts, the Forum represents over 90% of corporations and 80% of citizens in Phoenicia - making it a quasi- entity. In Phoenicia, the decisions of the Corporate Forum are considered undebatable and final, violations against this risking the reprisal of the entire Forum.

Substituting the traditional role of a in government, the Corporate Forum passes laws in the form of "resolutions" proposed by a member corporation or a bloc of corporations, which must pass  in order to take effect. In the Forum, this is achieved through the affirmative opinion of over half (majority) of existing voteshares. For substantive resolutions which affect the foundational agreements and structure of the Forum, including adding or removing members, a two-thirds majority (supermajority) must be achieved. Voteshares are determined by multiple metrics, generally corresponding greater financial, political, and military power (in descending order) to greater shares of votes in the Corporate Forum for a given corporation. The Corporate Forum is led by the Speaker of the Corporate Forum, whose formal political power lies within the authority to lead Forum staff and thus, direct the foreign policy of Phoenicia through control of the Forum's diplomatic corps. Informally, the position of Speaker is one of prestige, as being able to seat oneself as a Speaker indicates that the incumbent and the corporation they represent holds the confidence of a significant majority of the Forum. Speakers are elected by majority vote, serving five-year terms with no set term limits. The Forum may a Speaker while their term is in progress by delivering a  to the incumbent Scion - if the motion is supported by a supermajority of the Forum, the Scion will wield her nominally absolutist power to remove the impeached Speaker from their office, though it is customary for Speakers to announce their resignation before the quota for impeachment is reached to preserve their reputation.

Membership
Generally, corporations that are not members of the Forum form contracts with or purchase shares in conglomerates that are, granting them a voice in the decision-making process of the Forum, albeit an indirect one. For most, this is considered an acceptable alternative, as a complex bureaucratic process and entry requirements block most from pursuing direct membership. Applicants must meet all standards (both public and hidden) set by the Forum and be approved by a 2/3 vote from existing Forum members to join. Corporations that manage to join despite these draconian restrictions are considered to have succeeded in a rite of passage, Forum membership being a status symbol and mark of quality which practically guarantees greater popularity in the Phoenician market.

While uncommon, it is possible for a corporation's membership in the Forum to be rescinded, done when the subject is considered to have fallen below the standards of the Forum typically through either financial or reputational inadequacy. It is possible, though considerably more difficult, for ex-members to rejoin the Forum. Corporations belonging to the Phoenician Ten - the founding members of the Corporate Forum - are traditionally considered exempt from any possibility of rescindment.

Foreign relations
The official foreign policy of Phoenicia is decided by the consensus of the Corporate Forum, though official policy is generally only a guideline followed loosely by Forum members and Phoenician corporations in their interactions with foreign nations. As a central government does not exist in Phoenicia, diplomacy is generally handled by Forum members, who may be appointed by consensus to be the sole liaisons between Phoenicia and a nation. This type of exclusive diplomacy is generally reserved for minor countries, and is an indication of Phoenicia's (or more specifically the Corporate Forum's) opinion of a given country. Diplomacy may also be carried out with unrecognized states or major organizations.

This decentralized method of diplomacy has granted Phoenicia the largest diplomatic network in the world, with corporate and thus diplomatic presence in practically every country on Tellurus. Despite the exceptionalist attitudes present in Phoenician opinion of those outside its cultural sphere, Phoenician foreign policy is informed by the concept of "harmony without uniformity", promoting diplomatic interactions with other entities despite cultural and ideological differences. This policy has led it to cooperate with countries which may traditionally be considered to be on the rival side of the Cold War, and those considered repressive and authoritarian by Eastern standards.

Officially, Phoenician foreign policy is centered around the concept of Phoenicization, an attitude of Phoenician exceptionalism declaring the necessity of transforming the world and its culture to one closer to the perceived superior baseline of Phoenician culture, until the world is completely assimilated into Phoenician culture. In practice, Phoenician foreign policy is dictated by a approach to geopolitics, elevating the importance of pursuing Phoenician interests (particularly economic ones) above any ideological motive. While both policies may appear contradictory to one another, Phoenician diplomacy is informed by the concept of the "inevitability", wherein consistent economic and social interaction with a foreign polity, even if not directly motivated by the necessity of Phoenicization, will inevitably bring the given polity closer to and make them more amicable to Phoenician cultural standards - this cultural influence considered a central part of Phoenician.

Phoenicia is the leader of the GOCE, an international political and economic alliance officially aimed towards pursuing the mutual interests of its member states, though unofficially serves as a vehicle with which Phoenicia extends its influence - on both political, economic, cultural, and military fronts.

Law and social control
Phoenicia makes use of a massive espionage network of cameras, facial recognition software, sensors, and surveillance of personal technology and records as a means of social control, officially to maintain the "social harmony" of Phoenician society in accordance with Phoenician cultural standards. Phoenicia does not recognize any fundamental human rights, including but not limited to the, , , , the , and. Phoenician cultural standards are determined by sociocultural consensus and influenced by the corporate interests, and enforced in law.

There exists no singular provider of law in Phoenicia, due to the lack of a central government. The creation, adjudication, and enforcement of law is instead monopolized by major members of the Corporate Forum. Phoenician law is opt-in based: Phoenician citizens opt into a legal system enforced by a firm when they become employees of that firm, thus opting into a where they both receive the protection of law and abide by the same laws. Therefore, unemployed citizens do not receive any legal protection whatsoever. These "basic laws" provide citizens with fundamental protections, including and. Further protections are subscription based: for example, the protection of one's leased property depends on if the tenant is able to afford the fees of the leaser.

Most corporate legal systems in Phoenicia will offer the following three services:
 * Legislation: The firm guarantees the protection of the consumer against a list of offences.
 * Adjudication: The firm represents the consumer in the court of law during litigation.
 * Enforcement: The firm guarantees the enforcement of various penalties against those that commit certain offences against the consumer.

Reputation scoring system
Central to the Phoenician system of social control are the various reputation scoring systems in Phoenicia, a credit system and blacklist used to determine the social reputation and reliability of both individuals and firms. The reputation scoring system in Phoenicia operates mainly through a vast and lucrative market of the surveillance industry (colloquially known as watchdogs, "狗仔" in the Phoenician language), wherein watchdog firms monitor and investigate the activities of both individuals and firms to ensure ethical social and business practices, determined by Phoenician cultural standards. Through the collection of such data, watchdog firms construct webs of associations and transactions, aggregated into simple and easily understood data for the over one billion consumers in Phoenicia and throughout its alliance, the GOCE.

The reputation scoring system inhibits behaviors and practices deemed to be unethical or dangerous according to Phoenician cultural standards. One’s association with unethical actors is reflected on their overall decreased reputation score, and those that directly participate in unethical activity are penalized severely - both directly on their reputation scores and indirectly through other means. Individuals and firms participating in unethical activity or business practices will quickly find their poor reputation scores impacting their associates - indirectly pressuring such actors to improve for the better or risk exclusion and ostracization, both social and economic. Perceived unethical individuals and firms commonly are subjects of.

Military
Nominally, the Phoenician military is centralized under the institution of the Vermilion Banner Armies, with the Phoenician Scion as its commander in chief via its status as royal head of state. However, the Banner Armies have traditionally been split into informal cliques belonging to the Great Houses which themselves ruled regional cliques since the de jure unification of Phoenicia in 1810. This status quo would shift during the events of the Great Serican War, as the increasingly escalating conflict necessitated further consolidation in the Phoenician military - eventually resulting in the consolidation of a large part of the military establishment under the Phoenician Ten and its leaders.

Since the unification and corporatization of Phoenicia through the Sixteenth Fengtianmen Congress in 1960, the Vermilion Banner Armies have been practically abolished, only existing as a husk under which the private militaries of Phoenician corporations identify under.

All corporate members of the Banner Armies generally identify under one of five banners, corresponding to regional commands and thus their regions of military responsibility. Major militarized companies in a given region traditionally vote on which company will serve as the military commander of a Banner Army during wartime. During peacetime, the Vermilion Banner Armies are generally disbanded, leaving its member corporations to pursue its own military interests independently. War can be declared by the 2/3rds approval of the Corporate Forum, at which point member corporations are contractually obligated to centralize their military assets under the command of their respective Banner Armies, whereas the Corporate Forum will serve as a that maximizes returns on investments for military action and regulates what military action has to be taken. Private militaries enter their own blocs and begin to jockey between one another, bidding for military contracts with consumers’ cooperatives that combine the buying power of multiple billion individuals and the corporations which represent them. At the end of the bidding process, one or more military blocs comprised of varying members of the Banner Armies (depending on the degree of military action required) emerges from the bidding process victorious, charged with carrying out the military wishes of the market, dissolving as these wishes are fulfilled.

A notable deviation of this tradition is in the management of the Serican Demilitarized Zone on the Phoenician border with Arsytia in the north, formed in the aftermath of the Great Serican War and the Treaty of Gamtoi which ended it. It is internally agreed that all regional Banners provide military personnel and equipment to man the DMZ, in roughly equal proportions between all Banners, though the latter agreement is not always followed. Foreign military bases do not fall under the regional spheres of control dictated by the Banner system and is a common point of contention between Phoenician militant powers.

, while not exactly similar to traditional equivalents due to the lack of a central government or military in Phoenicia, is practically compulsory for both males and females generally between the age of 21 and 35. Military service in this form is carried out in the form of "corporate training camps" (公司訓練營), where prospective employees of a Phoenician conglomerate (coityun) upon passing their entrance exam go through a period of "training" typically lasting a year, split into two months of and the rest being weekend (2 days weekly) attendance and service. Such "training" includes traditional training for physical fitness, combat skills, and weapons handling; but also include training for corporate discipline and loyalty.

Economy
Phoenicia has the largest economy in the world by both nominal GDP and purchasing power parity GDP. It is a with a  and, though while it has held and maintained its position as the most industrialized country in the world, it has since the 1980s underwent a gradual  wherein the national economy is shifting from heavy manufacturing to more specialized electronics manufacturing and the service sector, in part prompted by its space race with geopolitical rivals in the TTO.

In accordance with its relatively recent transition towards a "technologically sophisticated economy", massive investments into education have made much of its previously poorly educated population into a highly skilled workforce, boasting one of the highest percentages of a population with a tertiary degree despite its size. As of 2022, Phoenicia possesses one of the lowest unemployment rates in the world of around 0.72, though economists have argued that the predatory practices of the Phoenician job market and corporate influences on the education system have skewed the metrics - many Phoenicians are contractually obligated to work in the parent conglomerate of their alma mater upon graduation.

Notably, under the economic model laid out by Phoenician corporatocracy, business regulation in Phoenicia is extremely lax, enabling a laissez-faire styled economy which theoretically allows for free competition between market actors. In practice, the highly insular culture of Phoenicia alongside the decades, in some cases centuries-long foothold of its corporations in the Phoenician economy has largely inhibited the entry of foreign firms not belonging to a member of the GOCE or not otherwise culturally accepted by the Phoenician market. Phoenician culture - influenced by marketist thinking since the nation's corporatization in 1960 - perceives the national economy to be inseparable from national security, to the extent that unwelcome competition with foreign firms is commonly depicted as akin to an incursion on Phoenician territory.

Central to the Phoenician model is the coityun (Phoenician: 財團), referring to the various business conglomerates which operate throughout Phoenicia and wield massive power in its corporate political system. In lieu of a central government, essential services and utilities in the Phoenician economy are maintained and managed by coityuns, giving rise to the "Phoenician cyclical economy": a coityun with sufficient financial reach may practically control all facets of a Phoenician citizen's life cycle, from their employment and housing to their nourishment and entertainment, to even healthcare and relevant services which allow influence over one's life and death. In addition, Phoenician capitalism promotes the concepts of, seniority-based career advancement and corporate loyalty, perpetuating the aforementioned cyclical economy as workers are more unlikely to leave the employment of their conglomerate.

Currency
The currency and only legal tender of Phoenicia is the Phoenician yuan (Phoenician: 鳳元; ¥). It is also an official currency in numerous countries (mostly obligated by GOCE membership) and the de facto currency of several others. Since the rapid expansion and internationalization of the Phoenician economy following 1960, the yuan has emerged as the primary contender against the Barenian dollar's traditional position as the chief of the global economy, having become the world's most traded currency in 19XX.

The monetary policy of Phoenicia is managed by the Liugam Banking Consensus, an alliance and forum of cooperation between the Big Three banks of Phoenicia: PKT Financial Services, Koutei-Sakaguchi Holdings, and the Royal Vermilion Investment Corporation. As the combined assets, equity positions, and currency reserves of these three banks dominate a sizable majority of yuan in circulation, the triumvirate has been recognized in confidence by the Corporate Forum to effectively serve the role of Phoenicia's, thus granting it the sole authority to issue Phoenician yuan. The yuan is a, though its value has at times been influenced by the monetary policy of the Banking Consensus in order to ensure its stability and favorable position as a reserve currency in the global economy.

Transportation
The Phoenician transportation network is one of, if not the most, sophisticated of its kind, standing out for the remarkable efficiency of both transportation technology and its implementation, alongside the near universal interconnectedness of the network despite the nation's size. Acting as the primary mode of transportation between the urban centers of Phoenicia, the Xinzhulian, or "bullet train" as it is known abroad, is a network of  running alongside conventional  which connect the megacities of the Serican Peninsula in Phoenicia's coasts and heartland with one another. upgrades have already been carried out in several major cities as part of a nationwide implementation test. Road transportation serves as the secondary method of land transportation, connecting the more treacherous Phoenician interior to regional hubs for finance and logistics. Since development of the aforementioned Xinzhulian rail network, maritime transportation has been disfavored as a means of passenger transportation, generally only used for riverine travel into the Phoenician interior or between islands not connected by bridge. Maritime traffic is thus dominated by, carrying cargo to and from the extensive ports of the country - the Port of Yutseng is the busiest container port in the world. Most internal maritime traffic occurs between the two hubs of the South Serican Sea and Sea of Avarda, but the inclusion of Hyperaustrea into the Corporate Forum in 1969 has seen a boost in maritime activity between Phoenician ports and Capricornia centered in the Sundic Sea. The Phoenician enclaves of Nankaido and Ikawa serve as the primary s between Phoenicia and the continent of Avarda.

is the most common way of commuting in Phoenicia. Combined survey and census data in 2022 indicates that nearly 80% of the population utilized public transport for daily transit, with more than half commuting on Phoenician railway networks. Public transportation in Phoenicia is handled by contracted firms on smaller scales and by conglomerate subsidiaries when operating on greater scales, and it is common for the transit vehicles under a conglomerate to be prioritized or sometimes even reserved for the conglomerate's employees - many conglomerates opt to operate their own public transportation networks to facilitate travel between one's residence and workplace (both typically owned and operated by the same conglomerate) for their employees, an arrangement generally offered and accepted as employee incentives.

Similarly, in a given region of Phoenicia is operated by conglomerates dominant in that region. AirPhoenix, a consortium of Phoenician conglomerates operating aviation subsidiaries serves as the of Phoenicia, managing and regulating aviation-related matters such as the licensing of aircraft and aviation infrastructure. The consortium also doubles as the representative of the GOCE. Aviation infrastructure in Phoenicia is developed - international airports operate in every regional capital and major city in the country, totaling at 167 as of 2022. Chuto International Airport is the busiest airport and most common layover destination in the country, as it serves as the primary southern access point of the Talthray-Yueguan Air Corridor, a relatively narrow corridor which bypasses the hazardous and thusly restricted airspace over the high-altitude Bautan Plateau. Most minor cities operate their own national airports or possess adequate transportation networks that can allow rapid transit to nearby international airports, facilitating convenient air travel for its citizenry.

Demographics
The national census in 2022 recorded Phoenicia's population to be approximately 1,791,383,002, projecting an annual growth rate of around 1.73% without factoring in extraordinary elements (see Breeding camps in Phoenicia). Nearly 99% of the population is recorded as part of the Phoenician ethnic group, all of which primarily speak the Phoenician language as their. The remaining percentage largely comprise foreign residents or rare pockets of minorities, who typically speak Phoenician as a second language alongside their native language.

Phoenicia has urbanized significantly in the past century, seeing historical spikes in development and urban populations following the 1960s and onwards as the country emerged as a global and the largest economy in 19XX. The percentage of the population living in urban areas rose from 30% in 1950 to over 80% in 1990 - the country's urban population surpassed 1 billion in 1993. There are over 300 cities in Phoenicia with populations that surpass 1 million; 11 of which are considered as they have more than 10 million in population. It is notable that due to the extensive urbanization of the country and the, the exact boundaries between urban areas are oftentimes blurred, leading to the designation of numerous continuous urban areas as : primarily the South Serican Sea Rim (環南西洽海圈) centered on Yutseng, the Chain of Pearls Megalopolis (珠鏈城市群) centered on Chuto, and the Heartland Megalopolis (核心城市群) centered on Kaijing - each of which surpass 200 million in collective population.

Ethnic groups and languages
Based on the 2022 census, nearly 99% of Phoenicia's approximately 1.8 billion citizens have been legally identified as Phoenician, the small remainder being foreign residents or rare minority groups, making Phoenicia the most ethnically homogenous country in the world. The Phoenician ethnic group is defined by the adherence to Phoenician culture and its customs, including full comprehension and fluency in the Phoenician language - thus leaving room for significant racial and linguistic diversity despite the nominal homogeneity of the ethnic group. In Phoenician culture, one's is irrelevant: as long as a person follows Phoenician customs and speaks the Phoenician language, they are a Phoenician.

The primary subgroups of the Phoenician ethnic group can be determined by their location of origin and their Phoenician dialect, primarily split along regional lines (see Phoenicia). The remaining 4% comprise minor Phoenician subgroups such as the North Phoenicians (北鳳) and Highlander Phoenicians (山鳳), who comprise regional minorities in the northern and mountainous regions (primarily the Bautan and Transerican mountains) of Phoenicia respectively.
 * Core Phoenicians (核鳳) make up the majority at around 47%, located primarily in central and eastern Phoenicia and unified by a common fluency in the Standard Phoenician - the official language of the country.
 * Peninsular Phoenicians (半島鳳) are the second largest subgroup at around 29%, located primarily in West Phoenicia around the eponymous Serican Peninsula and the South Serican Sea's coastal region, known for the regional Peninsular Phoenician dialect.
 * Pearl Phoenicians (珠鳳) are the third major subgroup at around 20%, located primarily in South Phoenicia and unified by the Pearl Phoenician dialect.

The remaining approximate 1% of the country's population comprise foreign residents and rare non-Phoenician minority groups, the former of which takes up the vast majority. Foreign residents in Phoenicia typically originate from member states of the Phoenician-aligned GOCE, as abiding by Phoenician customs and fluency in the Phoenician language (or regional dialects) are prerequisites to residency.

As a result of historical Phoenicization efforts lasting centuries, even millennia long, most non-Phoenician populations native to Phoenicia's portion of the Serican continent have either been assimilated as Phoenicians or eradicated entirely. The largest of such non-Phoenician minorities still surviving in Phoenicia are the, centered in isolated pockets in the Transerican Mountains. Such minorities are classified as "barbarians" (夷狄), and are guaranteed no rights under the Phoenician legal system unless they assimilate into Phoenician culture.

Education
The Phoenician education system is completely managed by private institutions, in accordance with the Phoenician corporatocracy model of development. The school year is continuous - the year is generally equally split into four semesters of 3 months each, all four associated with their own assessment exams which occur at the end of the semester. The school week lasts six days. There is no set and -related vacations are sporadic, touted by Phoenician education institutions as beneficial to acclimatizing students to work schedules in adulthood. For similar reasons, uniforms are generally mandated as part of the dress code for all tiers of the education system: Phoenician uniforms are unisex, typically comprising trousers and white shirts. After-school is common and generally considered inseparable from conventional educational expenses.

The education system is split into six academic tiers according to age. Education is generally corporately subsidized until the end of lower secondary, further subsidization onwards done in the form of : While there is no state-mandated compulsory education owing to the lack of a central government in Phoenicia, most careers in Phoenicia will require at the very least a Basic Education Degree, while societal expectations demand university degrees in order for a person to be considered as "fully educated". Education in general is considered a high priority for any Phoenician, as success in education is viewed as a source of pride and accomplishment in society at large, and thus is a. Higher education is perceived to be the main propeller of social mobility in Phoenicia, a practical necessity if one wanted to obtain a career beyond the poverty line - there is no in Phoenicia. Obtaining a degree from one of the top universities of the country - all run by conglomerates - is the ultimate symbol of prestige, high socioeconomic status, promising marriage prospects, and a respectable career path. Such degrees are oftentimes prerequisites to any prestigious, secure, and higher-paying career paths in Phoenicia, such as positions in a Phoenician conglomerate's financial, IT, or overseas divisions. As the alternative is a already oversaturated by less skilled graduates, there exists incredible societal and financial pressure for a student to enroll in prestigious universities, which in turn possess incredibly stringent requirements and limited available slots to weed out "substandard" applicants. An average Phoenician academic career lasts for the better part of three decades, during which a student's life revolves around education, the highly demanding requirements to socioeconomic success and enormous pool of competitors owing to Phoenicia's population meaning that intense academic competition is guaranteed. To achieve such success, it is expected that a student must excel at every assessment examination in their academic career, enter a prestigious university, and excel again at a prospective career entrance exam - this excellence is colloquially termed as the "big red book" (大紅書) due to the use of red as an indicator of academic excellence in a Phoenician report book, which collages every in a Phoenician's academic career. Additionally, the "model student" in Phoenicia is expected to be, being fluency in Phoenician and two other secondary languages.
 * (學前) begins between the ages of 1 or 2, lasting until the age of 6. While not mandatory, parents generally enroll their children at this stage to prepare children for further education and increase their chances for academic success, additionally because of a lack of time for - the alternative option. Either way, all children at this age are still required to take classes in the Phoenician language and receive religious education in the Infernal Cult, to ensure basic proficiency in knowledge for both. Both will remain mandatory up to lower secondary, but comprehension in both is culturally demanded by the end of such mandatory education.
 * (小學) begins at the age of 6, lasting approximately 7 years and ending right before reaching the age of 13. At this stage, students are expected to achieve complete fluency in Phoenician, and must then take up secondary languages: the most common by order of popularity are Melkian, Avalonian, Ponterosan, and Saessish.
 * (初中學) begins at the age of 13, lasting approximately 3 years and ending right before reaching the age of 16. Students must select between one of four specializations at this age, being and, , , and.
 * (高中學) begins at the age of 16, lasting approximately 3 more years and generally ending right before reaching the age of 19. Both levels of secondary education are generally carried out in the same school, and it is possible for (留級) to occur in cases of underperformance. Optional and separate vocational education (專科學) becomes formally available at this age, the most common being courses relevant to business and industry. Upon graduation, the student receives a  (基本教育學位).
 * (預科學) generally begins between the ages of 19 and 20, ending before reaching the age of 21, the age of adulthood in Phoenicia. At this tier, students must select a to "prepare" for, at which point they will receive appropriate education on relevant fields of studies, which combines academic and vocational education. Upon graduation, the student receives a  (預科學位).
 * (大學) begins from the age of 21 and onwards. Entrance exams are practically mandated for every university, with a Basic Education Degree as a prerequisite. While not mandatory, it is considered mandatory in Phoenician society to pursue university education, as relevant university degrees are required for most careers in the country. To enroll in a university, a student must be a Phoenician or possess a.

, while not exactly similar to traditional equivalents due to the lack of a central government or military in Phoenicia, is practically compulsory for both males and females generally between the age of 21 and 35. Military service in this form is carried out in the form of "corporate training camps" (公司訓練營), where prospective employees of a Phoenician conglomerate (coityun) upon passing their entrance exam go through a period of "training" typically lasting a year, split into two months of and the rest being weekend (2 days weekly) attendance and service. Such "training" includes traditional training for physical fitness, combat skills, and weapons handling; but also include training for corporate discipline and loyalty.

Health
Phoenician healthcare is among the world's most sophisticated, thanks to the country's combined extensive efforts in the industry of, especially in the areas of and. As educational standards in Phoenicia are substantially higher than would be expected in countries with similar and, the healthcare industry is high-paying and highly competitive, with degrees in medicine being one of the most sought-after degrees in the country, only behind business, law, and information technology in popularity. Phoenicia is one of the world's primary destinations for health tourism, attracting millions of such visitors annually from around the world, though with greater representation from the Western Hemisphere. Notably, the country has been criticized as a safe haven for corruption and tyrants, as it has a record of facilitating the treatment of world leaders in both politics, industry, and business - including those considered to be corrupt or authoritarian by Eastern liberal standards. Phoenicia is the primary destination for asylum seekers of that nature.

Despite the advanced nature of Phoenician healthcare, it nonetheless remains that many of the higher-level treatments are prohibitively expensive for much of the country's population, a product of vast. All healthcare and insurance providers in Phoenicia are private in nature, and it is not uncommon for both to belong under the ownership of the same conglomerate. Basic healthcare services are provided as part of employment benefits in all Phoenician conglomerates, though further coverage would require an employee to be higher in the company hierarchy or to pay higher subscription fees - both of which are options unavailable for much of the population.

The most common cause of death in Phoenicia is lung cancer and similar respiratory illnesses, caused primarily by widespread air pollution and poor regulatory standards when it comes to pollutant emissions. To combat this, it has become a cultural norm to wear face masks when travelling outside in Phoenicia, while indoor spaces are thoroughly ventilated and cleaned to serve as "safe spaces" in regard to air pollution. are a common product in the country, used to treat exposure-related irritation to the eyes. Most Phoenicians have access to clean drinking water in modern times, though it is customary to filter tap water before drinking or not drink it outright, due to several high-profile cases of water contamination in the past, especially in industry-adjacent housing areas.

is considered a hidden killer in Phoenician society, its increasing frequency obscured as mortuary records traditionally hide suicide as a motive in records. Euthanasia and assisted suicide is legal in Phoenicia, providing an official avenue for ending one's life in a painless manner if so desired, though recipients are typically contractually obligated to provide their corpses as payment for the costs incurred by euthanasia services. The term "selling one's body" (賣身) has entered colloquial Phoenician vocabulary as a euphemism for euthanasia, as recipients may designate beneficiaries to which the funds leftover after a corpse sale are transferred post-mortem. The line between suicide and euthanasia is blurred, such that Phoenician refers to both as "unapproved" and "approved" suicide respectively.

There generally are no queues for in Phoenicia, due to their availability. It is expected that transplant recipients pay for their own transplants at prices determined by the unregulated free market of Phoenicia. Where such prices may be prohibitively expensive elsewhere due to high demand, the ample supply in Phoenicia has lowered the prices of most organs to an affordable degree for most - provided one has proper insurance coverage. Phoenicia is the central hub for and the largest exporter in the GOCE, though Phoenician citizens are still prioritized for organ use.

Culture
Phoenicia, corresponding to its status as a, possesses one of the oldest cultures in the world, one that has left tangible influence across much of its , from antiquity till modernity. Its culture is considered the dominant in Serica, and its great age means that it has had ample time to both directly and indirectly influence the development of neighboring cultures and their philosophies, etiquette, virtues, and traditions. Central to Phoenician culture is the state religion of the Infernal Cult, a and  religion that has served as the vessel through which key tenets of Phoenician culture and the Phoenician identity have been preserved and carried over the ages. As a direct result, the concept of is considered holy in Phoenicia, and by association that of the Sun and warmth itself. Many traditions and mores in Phoenicia are directly linked to these concepts as a result, one clear example being the cultural appreciation for daylight and in contrast, the associated with the night.

Phoenicization
Above anything, it is considered a sacred duty of all Phoenicians, no matter their national or ideological differences, to preserve and spread Phoenician culture through whatever means may be available to the person, whether that be the simple act of speaking the Phoenician language to even actively shaping global politics to fit the Phoenician vision. This practice of cultural preservation is known as Hànxí Wèisú (捍習衛俗), literally "protecting customs" or more commonly, "Phoenicization". Outside observers have noted Phoenician culture overall to be "monolithic" in nature, not the least because of a cultural insistence to conserve existing, "pure" versions of Phoenician customs and resist any change which may affect such customs' perceived purity. Reflecting this insistence for cultural homogeneity, Phoenician culture has been noted to be inherently intolerant of foreign and recognizably distinct cultures, manifesting in a sense of cultural exceptionalism wherein a Phoenician perceives their own culture as the baseline for all others to follow, and that the farther one strays from that cultural baseline, the more "barbaric" (野蠻, yěmán) they are. There is no direct translation for the word "integration" in the Phoenician language, only "assimilate" (同化, ‘’tónghuà‘’; lit. "make same"). As a Phoenician, not abiding by Phoenician customs is a sure way to lead to one's from society; as a foreigner, not following Phoenician norms while in Phoenicia is considered a major insult.

It is taught that the ultimate objective for all Phoenicians is to ensure the predominance of the "superior" Phoenician culture over all others, to the ultimate goal of upholding "harmony" (和諧, héxié) in the world - a utopic vision perceived to only be possible through universal adherence to the Phoenician norm.

Cuisine
Drawing on millennia of culinary traditions and cultural influences, Phoenician cuisine is highly diverse, split between numerous regional cuisines each reflecting their own unique historical and cultural experiences. Generally, rice has been the staple food of central Phoenicia, whereas breads and noodles are the staple food of the surrounding regions, primarily in the culturally distinct east and south. Between all regional traditions however, there are multiple aspects to Phoenician cuisine that have been retained throughout the ages, owing to commonalities in the ethnic culture of Phoenicia - especially the unifying influence of the Infernal Cult. have historically been highly prized in Phoenician cuisine and culture at large, owing to its religious importance to Infernalist theology - the heat of spice is considered to be reminiscent of the holy fire of the deified Phoenix. Spiciness is viewed as a central component of any Phoenician dish, such that any lacking spice would be considered "incomplete" by Phoenician standards. is the signature spice of Phoenicia, the most famed variety being the Phoenix’s Pepper (鳳椒) - prized for its extreme pungency and heat. Most consume it impure, eating it while fresh and mixed in with sweet and sour vegetables to dull its extreme heat. In its purest and holiest form, the Phoenix’s Pepper is consumed after it is dried, the resultant heat ordinarily causing heavy breathing, sweating, and crying alongside more uncommon symptoms of tunnel vision and hallucinations - traditionally used by Infernalist oracles to interpret the future from pepper-induced visions. Even if rare, consuming the entire pepper in this form at once has reportedly led to deaths from the sheer distress, especially for those unaccustomed to its heat. In Phoenician cuisine, the Phoenix’s Pepper is used as an appetizer or palate cleanser, to “open” one’s taste buds and stomach for a full meal.

Another Infernalist influence in Phoenician cuisine is the application of a significant amount of dry heat as a part of food preparation, developed into the "Four Fires" customary in Phoenician cooking: (炸),  (煎),  (烤), and  (炒). The deliberate use of oil in Phoenician cooking is dated back to royal cuisine in the early 900s, the increased productivity of later eras and resultant availability of cooking oil allowing for the popularization of as an integral part of traditional cuisine.

Literature and philosophy
A central component of Phoenician social philosophy is that of, embodied by the Phoenician phrase "random fortunes and disasters" (幸災順變, Xìngzāi Shùnbiàn). Occurrences that might be considered bizarre or appalling in outside cultures are viewed with uncaring apathy by Phoenicians in most cases, notably apparent when observing the poor living standards and rampant inequality in the country, alongside the numerous scandals related to the country's corporate leadership.

While there is no exact cause for this widespread apathy in Phoenician society, Eastern sociologists have identified contributing factors which date all the way back to the Great Fragmentation (1303-1810), a Phoenician lasting five centuries which dominates the Phoenician cultural consciousness. Literature of the time had normalized the multigenerational conflict to be an inherent part of the, framing it as a religious trial by fire which tested the worthiness of humanity, or more specifically the Phoenician people. The Arsytian sociologist Heikki Pentti notes the conflict to have established a "culture of indifference", as Phoenicians view the conflict and more importantly, the intense suffering it brought to be inevitable, akin to a. In response, Phoenicians of the time stockpiled nonperishables and gas masks with spares, drilled civilian society in disaster and war drills - practices which have survived despite generations having passed since any significant armed conflict involving Phoenicia. "The Phoenician, in the face of the great misfortunes of the world, will 'go with the flow' instead of resisting their fate. Their apathy is trained, such that they have trivialized tragedy and accepted even the greatest of atrocities as part of the inevitable human experience, such that they view our dismay at the convictions propagated by their culture and overlords to be an overreaction birthed of ignorance. When facing suffering, they prepare for the worst, and celebrate anything better."

"In truth, our stay in this world is impermanent It is more transient than dewdrops on the leaf of grass, or the moon reflected in water A century in the mortal world is but a fleeting moment in the Heavens As the radiance of life is bestowed from the stars, it cannot shine forever All those born in this world must necessarily perish someday Unless we consider this our wakeup call, it is a grievous truth indeed Understanding this is the road to salvation, but also the path to regret." From this long history of warfare, a longstanding genre in Phoenician literature has emerged, being "war poetry" (戰詩, Zhànshī). Originally developed in the early decades of the Great Fragmentation as a tool of which glorified conflict and promoted contemporary military interests, as the war progressed, the genre gradually turned into an avenue of, humorizing the brutality of conflict through use of  - theorized to be a  to downplay the countless tragedies and atrocities of the era in the contemporary Phoenician social consciousness. This genre has survived to this day, its modern pioneers satirizing recent events like the Great Serrataran War and ongoing Cold War to great popularity in the country and controversy abroad.