Revision as of 21:09, 26 August 2006

The Kindom of the Bainbridge Islands is a constitutional monarchary, with an emphasis on social preservation. A dynamic and stunning ecological nation, the KBI is currently recovering from an attempted coup de etat. They maintain a neutral status in international relations, but is a favored destination for tourism in Europa. {{Infobox_Nation |

Bainbridge Islands

Flag of Bainbridge Islands
Motto: Aloha!
see below
Region	Europa
Capital	Honolulu
Official Language(s)	English, Hawaiian
Leader	King Kamehameha IX
Population	172 Million
Currency	Tiki
NS Sunset XML

The Kingdom of the Bainbridge Islands

Geography The Kingdom of the Bainbridge Islands comprises of the main island of Bainbridge, and 14 small islet and Atolls directly surrounding the main island.

Climate The climate of the main islands is generally warm and humid, with varying brief rainshowers.

Spring - Hot and humid, with occasional rainstorms from the east and north, along with good surf waves on the southern shores

Summers - Hot and humid, with some strong storms on the north shore, and good surf on the southern and western beaches

Fall - Warm and humid, but fairly mild

Winter - Warm and humid, and strong waves on the north and east shores

History

Government

The Kingdom of the Bainbridge Islands has three branches of government: Legislative, Executive, and Judicial.

Legislative: The Bainbridge parliament has two parliaments, the lower branch of parliament, which is directly elected by the citizens of the islands, and the upper branch of parliament, which is elected based upon regional division. There are four major parties in the parliament:

Traditionalists: the most entrenched political party in the islands, they usually have a single party majority in both houses of parliament, allowing them to push through legislation, unless the opposition can agree upon a coalition to gain a majority. Their politics are mostly conservative and traditional, usually eschewing change unless absolutely necessary.

New Horizons: usually the opposition party, they embrace liberal-view politics, contrary to the desires of the Traditionalists. They usually act in the minority, having to mount coalitions to counter the power of the conservative Traditionalists.

Native Land: The priority of this party is to preserve the native land of the Bainbridge islands, and prevent developers from damaging the natural environment. They often side with the Traditionalists on matters on land development.

Rising Sun: This could be called the “corporate party” – they are funded by major corporations (both national and international), and are adept at manipulating the media and defending their message. They are proponents of technological change, and encourage the development of the Island – which often puts them at loggerheads with other parties, when trying to pass legislation. However, they have been steadily growing in power, and are beginning to challenge the New Horizons party for the second most influential group in the Parliament, both upper and lower houses.

Executive: The executive branch is run as a constitutional monarchy – the King of Bainbridge Island wields supreme executive power, overseeing long-term issues and concerns. The Royal Advisor (similar to a Prime Minister), addresses short term issues as directed by the King. The Royal Cabinet maintains the Secretaries of each major branch of the government, and is answerable to the King and the Advisor.

Selection of the King is usually the oldest child of the Royal family, and siblings are often placed in governmental positions. During the last 100 years, the selection has begun to change, as the name heirs will usually undergo a “competency test”, a trial to measure their ability to rule effectively, or at least project how effective they will be at ruling. Aside from physical ability to withstand the stresses of the head of state, the prince/princess will face challenges from experts in a variety of fields (international relations, economics applications, strategic military theory, etcetera). If the individual does not satisfactorily meet the expectations of the interview board, the individual will be eased into a less demanding position.

Judicial: The Royal Court comprises of seven judges, each chosen for a life term upon approval by parliament. They are the “highest court in the land, and hear cases that are often controversial, by Islander standards (i.e. Land Rights, Maritime Issues). The court is housed in the Pa'a Noli'i building, originally the palace of King Kamehameha II.

Language

The major language of the Kingdom of the Bainbridge is English and Hawaiian. English is the lingua franca of business, government, and tourism. Hawaiian is sub-divided into "High Hawaiian", used for traditional ceremonies and offical functions, and "Pidgen" Hawaiian, used among "lower" (or backwater) citizens.

Culture

General BI Cultural Notes

There are a number of generic Islander cultural issues that an average traveler should be aware of when visiting the Kingdom.

Sport

Football (soccer)

By far the most popular sport in the Islands, the BI Football League (BIFL) is comprised of ten teams, and plays during the spring/summer season. The team in the BIFL are:

Royal Honolulu (the Sharks - "represents" strength and a competitive spirit)

FC Aiea (the Dolphins - team logo)

Honolulu Athletic (the Squids - long story)

Wainai FC (the Marlins, part of Honolulu - a marketing counter to the Sharks)

Sporting Lahaina (the Hammers - from the traditional outrigger who worked nearby)

He'e FC (the Stallions - from the wild stallions that used to run in the area)

Pearl Harbor United (the Gunners - the stadium is on an old gunnery range)

Halo 1910 (the Crabs - located on Pahu (crab) bay)

Waimea FC (the Rats - because of a rat infestation at the turn of the century)

Aiea Dynamos (the Ghosts - because of their white uniforms)

Rugby

Rugby is considered a "traditional" sport, with a varients of the sport existing back 200 years ago, during the "Balkanized Era". It has been standardized to conform to international rules, and is well known for the pre-game "War Dance" performed by the team members.

Outrigger Competitions

Sumo

Surfing

The tradition of surfing goes back over 400 years, when foreign explorers first observed:

Natives, from young boys to old men, on slattes of woode, floating on the waves, as a seagulle in the aire

Few experiences can truly be defined as Islander, but the ability to surf certainly could be called one. It defines an important segment of the culture, from a comming of age ceremony, to an artistic expression, a statement of manhood, to a requirement for assuming the crown, the activity has wound its way throughout the nation. Most visitors consider surfing to be a sport, but to the locals, surfing is an art/sport/tradition. Winners of the surfing circuit can earn millions (usually in endorsements), and are considered national heroes. However, thousands of citizens engange in surfing simply for the enjoyment of it.

Legendary Beaches

Though there are literally thousands of beaches on the main island, and an additional hundred surfable beaches on the surrounding islets, there are certain beaches that are noted as being special. The top five beaches on the BI are:

Mala Wharf (a longboarder's dream, the hard coral reef makes for a fast peel)

Halo O Lono Beach (a horseshoe shaped beach, excellent for body surfing on the white sands)

Pohakuloa Point (a hot, steep ride for shortboarding, and "expert" level wave experience)

Hana Beach (covered with black sand, it is known for longboarding challenges)

Kahului Harbor (another treacherous shortboard beach, with a local "haina" (temple) nearby)

Competitions

There are a number of major competitions on the "Royal Surfing Circuit". Points are accumulated during the season, from each of the competitions, and the highest point total is declared the World Champion, by the International Surfing Federation. The oldest three competitions, however, are considered the triple crown of sufring. The "Triple Crown" competitions are:

1) The Sunset Point Shootout, held at Sunset Beach (near He'e)

2) The Billabong Pro World Cup, held in Hana Beach (near Aiea)

3) The Royal Masters, held at Maili Point (near Honolulu)

Unlimited Ring Fighting

Unlimited fighting (unarmed combat in an octogon) is a sport growing in popularity in the Kingdom. A wide variety of combat techniques are used, including Loa (traditional BI martial arts), Kung Fu, and Islander Ju-juitsu (submission specialty). Fights are usually 3 five minute rounds, and a competitor wins upon submission (tap-out), a technical (one fighter is too injured to fight), or "knock-out" (unconsiousness).

Provinces

Provinces in the Bainbridge Islands are named after the largest city in the region.

Honolulu

Skyline of downtown Honolulu

HONOLULU is the capital of the Kingdom of the Bainbridge Islands. It has the seat of government (Iolani Palace), the parliment, and additional governmental instruments. There is a strong Traditionalist sentiment here, as a concerted effort to maintain the traditions of the past sometimes override necessity (i.e. sacred grounds impeding building construction).

Aiea

Second largest city in the KBI, it is the industrial center of the Kingdom, and probably its most liberal city.

Lahaina

Waimea

Known for its beaufitul waterfalls and emerging biotech industry, Waimea is a rapidly growing city in the KBI.

Kona

Pearl Harbor

PEARL HARBOR (aka Momi Awa) is the military center of the Kingdom. It has the largest shipyard, training grounds for recruits (for all branches of the services),

Kailua

Makalapa

He'e

Kolohe

Halo

Military

Army

The Royal Army is relative small in comparison to those of other nations. Their emphasis is upon rapid transit and deployment to regions throughout Bainbridge Island or any of the outlying islets.

Navy

The largest military entity in the Kingdom, the Royal Islander Navy has a wide vareity of responsiblites throughout the waters surrounding the Bainbridge Island. The Royal Navy is divided into two seperate entities, the Nautical Defense Forces and the Costal Rescue Guard. The Natuical Defense Forces (NDF) could be compared to the traditional naval services of other countires. They perform deep water patrols (in both Northern and Southern Meteorolas, some times as far out as the Token and Dew Point seas), as well as engage in anti-piracy and anti-smuggling operations. Additionally, the Royal Navy has developed innovative technologies to allow their specialty, maritime assult. Either delivery through HALO (High Altitide, Low Opening), or via submarine delivery, the RN has exceptional maritime assult forces that have kept the Kingdom safe. The Costal Rescue Service focues on maintaining the safety and wellbeing of the seagoing individuals of the Kingdom's waters. The RCS has a large fleet of rescue helicopters, rescue tugs, and hydrofoils to assist them in providing (and enforcing) safety in the local waters.

Air Forces

Royal Marines

Royal Marines landing on Waikiki Beach, outside the Iolani Palace during the "Midnight Coup"

The Royal Marines are the special forces of the Kingdom of the Bainbridge Islands. Their specialty is maritime assults on either land or sea targets. Delivery systems range from HALO (High Altitude, Low Opening) assault, to submarine dispersal on littoral waters.