Fortestan
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| Flag of Fortestan | |
| Motto: "Veritas!" | |
| None available. | |
| Region | Europe |
|---|---|
| Capital | Ferroton |
| Official Language(s) | No official language |
| Leader | President Dr. Roland B. Durandana of Wassa |
| Population | 1.033 billion (12/23/04) |
| Currency | tolar |
| NS Sunset XML | |
The Union of the Free Republics of Fortestan is a massive, environmentally stunning nation, renowned for its punitive income tax rates. Its compassionate, intelligent population of 1.033 billion enjoy extensive civil freedoms, particularly in social issues, while business tends to be more regulated.
It is difficult to tell where the omnipresent, liberal government stops and the rest of society begins, but it concentrates mainly on Education, although Social Equality and Social Welfare are secondary priorities. The average income tax rate is 100%. The private sector is almost wholly made up of enterprising fourteen-year-old boys selling lemonade on the sidewalk, although the government is looking at stamping this out.
Crime is totally unknown. Fortestan's national animal is the raphus cucullatus, which is also the nation's favorite main course, and its currency is the tolar.
UN Category: Left-Leaning College State
Civil Rights: Superb
Economy: Reasonable
Political Freedoms: Excellent
Branches of Government
The Constitution of the Union of Fortestan established that the nation would be run by a three-branch government following the rule of the separation of powers. These branches are the executive branch, which runs the affairs of the nation, the legislative branch, which makes the law for the nation, and the judicial branch, which interprets the law for the nation.
Executive
The executive branch implements ("executes") the law of the nation. It administers the day-to-day affairs of the nation and sets out long-term programs meant to serve the people. It is headed by a popularly elected President, who serves as the Head of State and Government, and two Vice Presidents. The President and his administration serve for a four-year term. The Vice Presidents are elected seperately from the Presidents and are the only members of the President's Advisory Council to be elected. The Senior Vice President (nominated by the state legislatures and approved by the people through referenda) serves as the Secretary of Foreign Affairs. The Junior Vice President (elected directly by the people) serves as the Secretary of War and Home Defense. On the death of the President, the Senior Vice President is first in the line of succession followed by the Junior Vice President. The current President is Dr. Roland B. Durandana of Wassa.
Members of the Advisory Council:
- Senior Vice President (Secretary of Foreign Affairs) Orlando C. Ferrara
- Sub-Secretary of Foreign Affairs Tizona Kusanagi
- Junior Vice President (Secretary of War and Home Defense) Georgos Galenus, Sr.
- Sub-Secretary of War and Home Defense Matjaz Matvei
- Secretary of the Treasury Tyrfing Szczerbiec
- Sub-Secretary of the Treasury Azru Makeda
- Secretary of Law and Order Franklin Tepani
- Sub-Secretary of Law and Order H. R. Kalm
- Secretary of Energy Baeda Gratian
- Sub-Secretary of Energy Ferdinand Tepani
- Secretary of Housing, Health, Education, and Social Welfare Stsypan Os-Beorht
- Sub-Secretary of Housing, Health, Education, and Social Welfare Ventie Slav of Rutas
- Secretary of Postal Services Kata Messalina
- Sub-Secretary of Postal Services Maccus-Wella
- Secretary of Natural Resources and Agriculture Willem Adal-Heid
- Sub-Secretary of Natural Resources and Agriculture Vin Centes
- Secretary of Commerce and Labor Ari Adnos
- Sub-Secretary of Commerce and Labor Ercan Bald
- Secretary of Communications and Transportation Courtney Conchobhar
- Sub-Secretary of Communications and Transportation Cenel Eg
Legislative
The legislature is made up of the Free Peoples' Congress of Fortestan. The FPC is divided into the States' Council and the Peoples' Assembly. The States' Council is the Upper House and is made up of representatives nominated by the states' governments and approved by the state populace through referenda. The current number of Councillors in the States' Council is 343 (3 from each state, plus the First Minister). The Peoples' Assembly is the Lower House and is made up of representatives directly elected by the people. The States' Council was formed in order for the governments of the individual states to have a greater say in matters of the Federal government. The representatives sent to the Council were originally selected by the state governors, but recently the process has become more and more democratic. The number of Representatives in the Peoples' Assembly is proportional to the number of people living in each state, varying from a minimum of 1 to 42, and is currently 625. Councillors serve a 6-year term while the Representatives serve a 2-year term. The FPC is headed by a First Minister who is elected by the Congress but not from the Congress. The current First Minister is Wilhuff Arn-Wald. The current Second Minister is Franklin Al-bric.
Ministers of the Free Peoples' Congress:
- Finance Minister Anta Situwa
- Justice Minister Undine Timur
- Foreign Affairs Minister Vinzenz Cephas
- Tourism, Arts, Culture, & Heritage Minister Diarmaid Fuerte
- Interior Minister Achilles Vrijheid IV
- Science and Education Minister Makaio Manlius
- Labor, Trade, and Industry Minister Hros Adal-Bern
- Environmental Protection Minister Saggezza Astuto, Jr.
- Health and Social Welfare Minister Araqiel Thoth
- Citizenship and Immigration Minister Ovis Leng
- Transport and Technology Minister Horatio Bence
- Constitutional Affairs Minister Matija Tullio
Judicial
The judicature is the organized court system of the Union and is made up of the justices, judges, and magistrates. The primary role of the court system is to interpret the law. The various courts also have the power to settle disputes within their jurisdiction and to declare acts by the other branches of the government to be unconstitutional and therefore null and void. The Supreme Court is made up of five Supreme Justices that serve for life and ten Superior Justices that serve a single ten-year period and may never serve on the Supreme Court again. The Supreme Justices are appointed by the President and are approved by the Congress, and the Supreme Justices each appoint two Justices that must be approved by the Congress. Each state has a Superior Court that acts as the "Supreme Court" of the land and Inferior Courts that serve at a local level.
Supreme Justices:
- Arthur Whitebeard
- Yarad Juncus
- Art-Viros
- Hrod-Beraht
- Po U Pe
Political Divisions
The Union of Fortestan is a federation made up of one hundred fourteen subdivisions. There are different types of subdivisions with a different level of autonomy and form of government.
Free Cities
Free Cities are city-states that do not belong to any greater state and answer directly to the federal government. The difference between a Free City and the Republics or Provinces is the size of the region compared to the populace. There are currently seventeen Free Cities, all of which have a republican form of government.
Peos
Peos is an island city-state off the coast of the Grand Duchy of Rutas, a Republic, in the Grey King's Gulf. It is the most populous of the Free Cities and the oldest. Prior to joining the Union as a Free City, it was a district of the Republic of Rutas, but seceded in opposition to Rutas becoming a hereditary Grand Duchy shortly after the formation of the Union.
Lysithea
Lysithea is a coastal port city on the Pellucidaran Sea. It borders the Democratic Republic of Pellucidar, a Republic. Lysithea is notable because it is the youngest of the Free Cities, haveing been formed only thirty-seven years prior. Lysithea's designation as a Free City is controversial in Pellucidar, which claims Lysithea as its territory. Lysithea has put the matter of seceding from the Pellucidar to a referendum, which passed with an overwhelming majority of 76% in favor of secession. Pellucidar has struck back, claiming that the referendum was worded in such a way so as to confuse voters and that intimidation was involved. The Federal Government has stated continuously that Lysithea will remain a Free City and the matter is settled; nevertheless, Pellucidar continues in its seemingly futile legal battle to force Lysithea to reunify.
Republics
There are thirty-three Republics that have a great deal of autonomy, including the right to secede from the Union (also possessed by the FAS's and the Free Cities), the right to maintain a standing army separately from the Federal Military (No other region has this right), and it also has the right to take part in the governing affairs of lesser regions such as territories and autonomous districts. The Republics were once independent nations that joined the Union of their own accord and, because of this, they are able to handle their own domestic affairs for the most part. They are not able to declare war on foreign nations separately from the Federal government and may not maintain foreign relations without the Federal government.
Wassa
Wassa is home to one of the oldest civilizations within the borders of Fortestan still in existence. It is, geographically, the second-largest Republic in the Union and the has the second-largest population. It maintains the single largest military of any of the Republics, rivaling that of the Federal government. Wassa gets its name from the capital of Wassa, which was named after the mythical Lord Wassa who ruled from the city.
Belostavia
Belostavia is the largest Republic in the Union, and also the poorest due to civil unrest. Belostavia is home to vast oil fields that once fueled economic growth and stability in the region but that has been hindered because of the civil war. The military fell apart when many of the officers resigned and took with them much manpower to fight the established government. The Federal military has intervened and is trying to occupy the Republic and pacify it.
Rutas
to be written.
Pellucidar
Provinces
There are also twenty-seven Provinces which are governed by an elected legislature and an elected Governor, but do not have the same degree of autonomy that the Republics currently possess, due to the fact that the Provinces did not join the Union on their own, but were rather conquered, bought, or (in one case) were once a republic but was divided by the other Republics and the federal government into multiple provinces.
Territories
Currently, there are fifteen Territories that are governed by a legislature which appoints the Governor. These Territories have no autonomy and the legislature and the Governor are meant to simply carry out the will of the federal government or, more commonly, a Republic that the Territory is attached to geographically, ethnically, politically or for some other reason.
Freely Associated States
Similar to the Republics are the Freely Associated States, currently seven in number, that function as independent nations but have joined the Union as associate members and therefore do not have the benefits as the other regions of the Union. These FAS's are not full member-states of the Union because they either do not want to for a variety of reasons or do not meet the qualifications. They are still represented in the FPC and their residents are citizens of the Union and may participate in elections, but they are exempt from many federal taxes.
Autonomous Districts
Fourteen regions are Autonomous Districts of the Republic member-states and their affairs are maintained by the parent state, though they still must answer to the federal government. The Autonomous Districts are usually the remains of colonies that were formed by the Republic parent state prior to joining the Union.
Federal Capital District
Last, there is one Federal Capital District that is ruled by a mayor-council system. It houses the capital of the Union, Ferroton, within its borders. The difference between the Free Cities and the FCD is that the FCD cannot secede from the Union and the Federal Mayor is appointed by the Congress.
