Sanford
State of Sanford | |
|---|---|
 Flag | |
| Capital | Elk Plains |
| Largest city | Sanford Falls |
| Official languages | Terranean |
| Recognised national languages | Sanfordan Native |
| Demonym(s) | Sanfordan |
| Government | Presidential republic |
| Population | |
• Census | 649,803 |
| Currency | New standard dollar (NSD) |
| Time zone | UTC+4 (Eastern Time (EaT)) |
| Date format | MM/DD/YYYY |
| Driving side | right |
| Calling code | +605 |
Sanford, officially the State of Sanford, is a nation located in the Pavola subregion of Rushmore. It is known for its small population, high winds, and its presence in international sport.
Etymology
Sanford adopted its current name after billionaire philanthropist and financial services executive D. Tommy Sanford negotiated an agreement with the government to purchase the nation's naming rights, in exchange for a sizeable contribution to the national treasury.
Geography
Sanford is predominantly a temperate grassland biome. The nation’s topography is dominated by rolling prairie and low hills, which were flattened by glacial activity many millennia ago — its highest and lowest points stand at 2,230 and 968 feet, respectively, with only 1,262 feet of elevation change between the two.
The majority of the nation can be said to have a hot-summer (Köppen climate type Dfa) or warm-summer (Köppen climate type Dfb) humid continental climate, with most summers featuring some days above 100°F and most winters featuring some days under 0°F. Blizzards are not uncommon in the winter, and severe thunderstorms—some producing tornadoes—are not uncommon in the summer. Spring and fall are quite temperate, but quite short. Over such a broad, flat expanse, and with such great temperature variations over the seasons, the wind is a defining geographical trait of the nation year-round.
Demographics
Sanford is a nation of about 650,000 people located in central Pavola, on the Rushmori mainland. Highly rural, the population density hovers somewhere around twenty people per square mile, although some larger towns break the mold. For instance, over forty percent of the nation’s population lives in the Sanford Falls metro area in the southeastern part of the country alone. The nation’s capital is Elk Plains, chosen for its central location at a time when traversing long distances was very difficult.
The vast majority of residents speak Terranean, and most are descendants of white settlers from other countries. The number of Native residents of Sanford, who are indigenous to the country, is one of the nation's largest and most significant minorities, but comprise less than ten percent of the nation's population.
| Rank | City | Population | County |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sanford Falls | 192,517 | Foss, Lawrence |
| 2 | Granite City | 28,495 | Daschle |
| 3 | Derry | 23,377 | Fenn |
| 4 | Redlin | 22,655 | Abbott |
| 5 | McGovern | 15,660 | Greenway |
| 6 | Lewiston | 15,411 | Vinatieri |
| 7 | Elk Plains | 14,263 | Pyle |
| 8 | Fort Hughes | 14,091 | Bannister |
| 9 | Red Stream | 11,695 | Hulburt |
| 10 | Neshobe | 11,048 | Foss |
Religion
More than 70% of Sanfordans identify as Christian, and a majority of Sanford's population identify as Protestant. The two largest single Christian denominations in Sanford are Lutheran and Catholic. Christianity is the only religion which claims more than three percent of the Sanfordan population as adherents.
Economy
Sanford’s economy has historically been largely agricultural, with corn and soybeans two particular staples. Agricultural-related industries, like ethanol production and meatpacking, are also strong in Sanford. With that said, the service industry has become the largest sector in the Sanfordan economy in recent decades, with retail, finance, and health care sectors becoming tentpoles of the Sanfordan economy.
Sanford has no personal or corporate income tax, no inheritance tax, and no capital gains tax. Trusts can be established in Sanford secretly, in perpetuity, and to the sole benefit of the benefactor. Assets in Sanfordan trusts are ineligible from collection by creditors or litigation after two years. Sanfordan residency can be established simply by spending a single night in the country each year. Assets held in trust are rapidly expanding in Sanford.
Additionally, Sanford has no anti-usury laws, meaning lenders can charge unlimited interest rates to consumers. Several credit card and short-term lending companies are based in Sanford, many of whom do business internationally and may derive most of their profits from consumers outside the nation's borders.
Transport
Sanford Falls International Airport is equipped with seven departure and arrival gates, one airside restaurant, one landside food court with two restaurants, and one landside gift shop. Other airports exist in cities like Granite City, Redlin, and Elk Plains, but about ninety percent of the nation’s air traffic goes through Sanford Falls. Sanford Falls International is the also only airport in the country to serve more than two destinations, or any destinations at all outside the Rushmori subregion of Pavola.
There are currently no regularly-scheduled domestic air routes in Sanford, with all scheduled service being international in nature. Despite its historical importance, and continued cultural relevance, passenger rail service also no longer exists in Sanford, either domestic or international.
Major highways generally have speed limits of eighty miles per hour in rural areas, though traffic generally moves faster. Pedestrianism is fairly rare in most places in Sanford, but pedestrian deaths are not uncommon.
Culture
Use of most drugs, including marijuana, is prohibited in Sanford. Tobacco is legal for those above the age of eighteen, and alcohol is legal for those above the age of twenty-one. Residents may purchase, open-carry, or conceal-carry handguns or long guns, with no registration, licensing, or background checks required.
Sports
Association football, baseball, and basketball are among the most popular sports in Sanford. Sanford's national soccer team is known as the Buffalo, and domestic teams play in the League of the Single Sun. The country's national baseball team is known as the Canaries, and domestic teams play in Legion Baseball. Its national basketball team is known as the Skyforce, and domestic teams play in the Sanfordan Professional Basketball Association. Other popular sports in Sanford include archery, curling, motor racing, swimming, track and field, and wrestling.