[Korimyr the Rat]

While we are in the process of deciding what our geography, population, and economy are like, I'd like to raise the issue of what the culture of PoFo is like.

What is the ethnic composition of PoFo? Have there been any significant changes in that composition recently? Seems fairly obvious that our national language is English, but beyond that there are a number of unusual trends in our membership. Should our demographics be based upon forum statistics?

What are the most common religions in PoFo, and what percentage of the population identifies itself as religious?

What is the average age and life expectancy on PoFo?

We're obviously still deciding how wealthy PoFo is, but how is that wealth distributed? Is there a class or caste system?

I believe we have established that PoFo is just now forming a democratic government after years of dictatorship. But if we're going to figure out any more of our history than that, the answers to these questions will likely be very important. Not to mention, crafting a history for ourselves will make it easier to answer these questions, and establish a baseline from which our political efforts can progress.

edit: More fun questions!

What is the birth rate in PoFo? What is the average age at marriage and at first childbirth?

[Okonkwo]

What is the ethnic composition of PoFo?

I'd say we keep to the real outlook of PoFo in all regards, the ethnicity of the PoFoites would be mostly white with some minorities (African and Asian) thrown into the mix.

Something like: 80% white, 10% African, 10% Asian

What are the most common religions in PoFo

If we put the PoFo country somewhere in Europe, it has to be Christianity.

what percentage of the population identifies itself as religious?

I'd say we keep to the real numbers again, with a large percentage being atheist.

The other two questions should be decided after the vote is over, it's still not clear whether the PoFo country will be developed, developing or somewhere in between.

[Vladimir]

We're obviously still deciding how wealthy PoFo is, but how is that wealth distributed? Is there a class or caste system?

Since it's a parliamentary bourgeois republic with private property and capitalist relations, I think it's safe to assume it has a class system of wage earners and capital owners, with wealth distributed among the latter.

[HoniSoit]

I think by and large it should be close to the conditions in US, Britain and Australia given the demographics of PoFo.

[Cheesecake_Marmalade]

What is the ethnic composition of PoFo?

In my opinion we should have our own ethnic makeup, caucasian in nature, known as Pofoite.

That said, it should be 80% White (mostly pofoite with some German and British), 10% black, and a growing population of middle east and pakistani peoples at roughly 8% with the other 2% being other.

What are the most common religions in PoFo, and what percentage of the population identifies itself as religious?

I would assume that since this is a European country, that Pofoland is either Protestant (likely Lutherism) or Catholic, depending on whether we wanted to align ourselves with the mediterranean or the western part of Europe. I am in preference to western europe. I'd also say that there is a strong atheist influence in Pofo, because the parliament overrepresents atheists.

We're obviously still deciding how wealthy PoFo is, but how is that wealth distributed? Is there a class or caste system?

I'm guessing it's in the standard mould. Large working class, small middle class, tiny upper class.

[Vladimir]

How about we just pick a country and take its stats from the CIA factbook??

[Cheesecake_Marmalade]

How about we just pick a country and take its stats from the CIA factbook??

I think that whatever stats we come up with should be made up, just so we can have more fun determining things as we go along rather than having everything told to us.

[Le Rouge]

Why don't we just have every member list their ethnicity(ies) and age, language, religion, and income bracket?

For instance:
Le Rouge
Ethnicity: American--or Irish, English, Dutch, and American Indian.
Age: 19
Language: English
Religion: None (raised Christian)
Income bracket: 2008-2009--$10,000-20,000 usd.

Of course we'll have to do a 'gender correction' (inventing females, what would Judith Butler say?).

[Oxymoron]

Because then we would be a very poor nation La rouge, most members are poor college students.

[Dave]

What is the ethnic composition of PoFo?

What are the most common religions in PoFo, and what percentage of the population identifies itself as religious?

Both of these depend upon our geography. It looks as if we are a North Atlantic island, which would put us at the confluence of major North Atlantic trade routes. In that case, I would suggest that our country was originally settled by vikings, and that some time in the 18th century we came under the control of the British Empire due to our strategic location.

This would make our ethnic composition predominantly Scandinavian, but with strong elements from the British isles as well as a few Huguenots.

The religion would presumably be mostly Lutheran, with perhaps some Anglicanism, Presbyterianism, and Roman Catholicism. The population is presumably not all that religious based on the vigorous support for communists and social democrats.

If we are in the South Atlantic instead, then we ought to be either Spanish, Portuguese, or Dutch. I would prefer a Dutch identity, mainly out of distaste for Catholicism. The religion would then be Roman Catholicism in the case of an Iberian population, or Calvinist in the case of a Dutch one. We likely still would've fallen under British rule, but with less migration from the British isles.

Currently North Atlantic leads South Atlantic by a vote of 7-5.

What is the average age and life expectancy on PoFo?

This question will depend on our level of industrialization. I think we should have some problems in the healthcare system to help explain the high level of communism. The poor dying in the streets and such.

We're obviously still deciding how wealthy PoFo is, but how is that wealth distributed? Is there a class or caste system?

Seems reasonable to say that we have a relatively high level of inequality. A class or caste system seems unlikely if we're a Western country.

I'd say we keep to the real outlook of PoFo in all regards, the ethnicity of the PoFoites would be mostly white with some minorities (African and Asian) thrown into the mix.

Something like: 80% white, 10% African, 10% Asian

This ethnic mix makes no sense at all if we're in the North Atlantic, although it's plausible if we're in the South Atlantic. And no Western country in the world except the United States has such a large number of Africans as a share of its population. Only the United States comes close on the number of Asians. As for mirroring PoFo's demographics, I might be going out on a limb here but I think PoFo is extremely white. We've got, what, three blacks? And one of those is Kumatto/Zyx, who might not be a real person. We do have a fair number of Asians I suppose.

[Korimyr the Rat]

I'd say we keep to the real outlook of PoFo in all regards, the ethnicity of the PoFoites would be mostly white with some minorities (African and Asian) thrown into the mix.

There is merit in this approach. I think we might be able to derive some demographic estimates from Parliament participation, though. In any case, I suspect that using Parliament participants and inferring facts about the general population will give us more interesting numbers.

Something like: 80% white, 10% African, 10% Asian

This ethnic mix makes no sense at all if we're in the North Atlantic, although it's plausible if we're in the South Atlantic. And no Western country in the world except the United States has such a large number of Africans as a share of its population.

Any contradictions suggested by geography can be rectified by history. That's part of the reason I suggested this thread. As for Africans in Western countries... I believe you are overlooking Brazil.

Given that African representation in Parliament is currently Okonkwo and Kumatto, it seems highly unlikely that the African portion of PoFo's population arrived here in chains. Something to think about.

If we put the PoFo country somewhere in Europe, it has to be Christianity.

I'd say we keep to the real numbers again, with a large percentage being atheist.

Yes, that makes sense to me. Perhaps we should get demographic information from everyone who votes, for the purposes of establishing our demographics. Figure everyone who is participating represents a certain portion of PoFo, say a percentage equal to the percentage of the vote their vote represents.

[Dr House]

As for Africans in Western countries... I believe you are overlooking Brazil.

Well first, Dave doesn't consider Latin America western. Second, he did say the distribution made sense in the South Atlantic.

[Le Rouge]

Given that African representation in Parliament is currently Okonkwo and Kumatto, it seems highly unlikely that the African portion of PoFo's population arrived here in chains. Something to think about.

Sounds like we're in the Mediterranean. Or perhaps somewhere between Europe and the Azores.

[Oxymoron]

Kumatto is black?

[Dave]

Any contradictions suggested by geography can be rectified by history. That's part of the reason I suggested this thread. As for Africans in Western countries... I believe you are overlooking Brazil.

Brazil is Latin American, not Western.

Given that African representation in Parliament is currently Okonkwo and Kumatto, it seems highly unlikely that the African portion of PoFo's population arrived here in chains. Something to think about.

So what, we had large scale immigration of Africa's best and brightest? How does that make any sense at all?

Yes, that makes sense to me. Perhaps we should get demographic information from everyone who votes, for the purposes of establishing our demographics. Figure everyone who is participating represents a certain portion of PoFo, say a percentage equal to the percentage of the vote their vote represents.

Okay, so 2 blacks, 2 Asians, 2 Turks (?!), 1 Mexican, and everyone else white? Because that's what the voting mix is so far. Given that there are something like 85 votes (I think?) thus far, that makes the country 92% white, 2% black (Okonkwo, Zyx), 2% Asian (Watermoon, HoniSoit), 2% Turkish (Doomhammer, Vanasalus), and 1% Mexican (Andres). Of course, there could be some stealth minorities I've missed.

I think it makes more sense to figure out a plausible ethnic mix and history based on our geography.

[Korimyr the Rat]

Kumatto is black?

Hell if I know. Dave's under the impression he is.

So what, we had large scale immigration of Africa's best and brightest? How does that make any sense at all?

Figure it's our job to make it make sense. Either that, or come up with an explanation for why the composition of our Parliament bears so little resemblance to the composition of our nation. I'm certain either would make for an interesting story.

[Oxymoron]

You forgot the Jews Dave.

[Dave]

Figure it's our job to make it make sense. Either that, or come up with an explanation for why the composition of our Parliament bears so little resemblance to the composition of our nation. I'm certain either would make for an interesting story.

Of more interest would be the near complete lack of women in Parliament.

You forgot the Jews Dave.

Jews are white, and I'm not sure of who all of PoFo Parliament's j00z are. You, Sephardi, who else? If we turn out to have a large Jewish population, that could be explained by taking in refugees during WW2 or something.

[Dr House]

Jews are white

Sephardi Jews are not...?

[Oxymoron]

You, Sephardi, who else?

Nets and Donald.