Arsenius

Arsenius

Flag of Arsenius
Motto: "¡Al infinito y más allá!"
See Below
Region	Honorable Earthen Coalition
Capital	Karabal
Official Language(s)	Spanish and English
Leader	Newton Arsenius
Population	377,000,000
Currency	Dollar
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The Democratic Republic of Arsenius

¡Al infinito y más allá!

The Democratic Republic of Arsenius is an original breakaway republic of the former United States of America. During the Great Upheaval, the Arsenian founding fathers fled to the rumored lands of the Honorable Earthen Coalition. Upon arriving, they spotted a large island, abundant with natural resources, located roughly 500 km off the west coast of the HEC. The official languages of this nation are Spanish, followed by the minority language English, though it is usually only spoken as a first language around Karabal.

History

Despite having its official start as a breakaway nation of the United States of America, the first major settlers to reach Arsenius were Spanish fishermen in the early 1900's. After having the fishing spots off the Mediterranean coast overfished, large groups of newly impoverished fishermen set off to find a new source of income. After sailing for three months, they reached the beaches around what is now the city of Kariboo, in the northwestern part of the island. They quickly adapted to what amounted to a "free-for-all", a sort of utopia where one could make a living without any monetary backing. After a while, Spain created the Territory of Arsenius, establishing the new eastern port city of Terjuana (nowadays Terwana) as its capital, due to its easy access to the mainland HEC.

During the turmoil surrounding the United States in the 1960's, many people were sent off to fight in an illegal war in Vietnam. Many deserted by simply grabbing a boat and heading in the direction of what they thought was any friendly nation. Arsenius, being only a short trip away from the mainland HEC, was a favorite spot for expatriates. However, unlike their Spanish counterparts, rather than making the long trip across to the other side of the island to reach Terjuana, most preferred to set anchor at the new western port city of Karabal. Eventually, many of these expats settled down, sent for their family, and began a new life around this city.

However, during the 1980's, radical changes swept across Arsenius. Charles Wallace, an American expat, and a major voice against the Spanish in Arsenius, came to power in Kariboo province (which at that time included Karabal). Within a few years, he amassed an army, marched to Terjuana, and overthrew the government. After this, he issued an edict mandating all the names of towns to be "anglisized", starting with changing Terjuana to Terwana. He then changed the capital to Karabal, where it remains to this day. He ran a corrupt fascist dictatorship, which, among other things, forbade travel to and from the nation, forced a mostly-Christian nation to convert to Scientology, and kept citizens from accessing any medical care, unless they were a member of the inner party.

In the year 2000, a revolution started around the southern city of Ramisc. The rebels were led by a philosopher named Guillermo Rodríguez. The rebels fought against Wallace's army for three years, but by the end of 2003, the rebels had stormed the capital, murdered the fascist leaders, and declared Arsenius to be a democratic republic. A constitutiion was drafted, ratified in 2005, and elections were held the following year. To nobody's surprise, Rodríguez was proclaimed president with an overwhelming majority. Following with Arsenian tradition, he chose a new first name, Newton, for which paid tribute to the famous scientist Sir Isaac Newton, and his new last name automatically became "Arsenius", indicating that he was the sovereign leader.

The new Congress immediately changed the political scene from "So Far Off To The Right That They've Gone 'Round The World Over And Over" to "Strong Progressive" (as quoted by one historian). After rapidly raising taxes on the wealthy who were leeching money from the poor, cleaning up the environment, and instituting radical social programs, the Congress gradually allowed policies to shift to center. To this day, Arsenius not only has excellent political and personal freedoms, it also enjoys a strong economic sector. Many historians agree that this rapid "jump start" of civil rights followed by fixing the economy is an excellent example of how civil rights are important to the nation's well being.

Geography

Located on an island 500 km west of the HEC, the nation of Arsenius enjoys a temperate climate, with four distinct seasons. Gently rolling plains near the coastline suddenly give way to a rugged mountainous interior, only a day's drive away. The highest point in the nation is Mt. Newton, at 1,246m above sea level. The lowest point is at Karabal, only 3m above sea level.

Sights and Sounds

In the capital city of Karabal, one gets a chance to really experience Arsenius at its finest. Old museums, government facilities, and entertainment districts give this city a vibrant aura. Add to this the city's importance as an international seaport, and one notices the breaking down of cultural barriers for which this nation prides itself on.

There are links to each corner of the city by its extensive public transportation grid and wide sweeping boulevards. Two major freeways cross the region, providing Karabalans access to other parts of the country. Bicycles are not allowed on major city streets, but this is remedied by special bicycle paths built into the center median on the boulevards.

The nation's second largest city, Terwana, is located on the side of the island facing the HEC coastline. Unlike Karabal, Terwana is a calmer city, with its citizens content on ocean fishing and other minor industries as a vocation. However, this is starting to change, as more and more tourists flock to this part of the country, which marks the western terminal of the Arsenian Channel Tunnel.

Montverd, at the base of Mt. Newton, is an excellent example of the Arsenian interior. Built in high, rugged terrain, this city is a mecca for skiiers, hikers, campers, cyclists, and nature enthusiasts. One can find many five star resorts in this city, catering to tourists. The climate in this city, compared to Karabal, is much colder, with shorter summers and long, cold winters.

Transportation

The nation, for the most part, is reliant on its vast rail network. Subways in the cities of Karabal and Terwana are numerous, connecting nearly 80% of the city with a cheap, efficient means of transportation. Many people also travel via long distance trains to such popular destinations of Montverd, in the highlands; Kariboo, site of the first colony on Arsenius; and Ramisc, hometown of Newton Arsenius- it is a large wetlands environment filled with all kinds of rare animals.

Arsenius also has a well-developed highway system. The coastal higway, forming a loop around the entire island, has been internationally recognized as being extremely scenic. There is also a web of freeways, mostly connecting the area between Karabal, Montverd, and Terwana, crossing through the center of the nation. These roads, outside of the Karabal and Terwana areas, are toll highways. These are relatively expensive to drive from end to end, and are used by the government to help collect money for wildlife conservation projects. This has proved to be a problem, however, as most people travel long-distance via the two-lane Coast Highway rather than the toll highways. To help combat this, the government has instituted a program that offers a 40% reducation in tolls if one drives the highway from end-to-end, and a nearly 75% reducation on truck tariffs. This has started to offer relief, but experts worry that once most traffic starts using the toll roads again, the four-lane highways will be filled beyond capacity. Because of this, the nation's rail system is investigating the possibility of an auto shuttle between Karabal and Terwana, where cars and passengers are transported between the two cities for the same cost as using the road. Experts hope that by mandating half of the traffic to use the shuttle, and half to continue on the road, traffic will be reduced enough to begin much needed reconstruction without any major impacts on national infrastructure.

The island's sole airport, Karabal International Airport (KBL), is located about a half hour south of Karabal by train, or about 45 minutes by auto. This airport offers quick flights to any nation in the HEC, its allies Genosha, The New Justice League, The Pacific Army, and Random Idiots, as well as a numerous number of friendly nations throughout the world. Worldwide access is accesible by switching planes at major airport hubs, and an open immigration policy allows tourists from almost all nations to enter with only a passport, with no entry via required. Citizens of the HEC, The New Justice League, The Pacific Army, Genosha, and Random Idiots are allowed to enter by simply showing a special entry card, where they can then bypass the customs check.

The Arsenian Channel Tunnel, which carries HEC Inter-State Highway 2 between Arsenius and the Mainland HEC, was opened on March 30, 2006. This 560 km long bridge-tunnel allows people and goods to be exchanged rapidly. Two new ferry services will begin on May 9, 2006, linking the city of Kariboo with Genosha and The Pacific Army.

Map

Language

This map shows where each official language is primarily spoken. The blue represents English, spoken mostly in the Karabal and Montverd regions. The green represents Spanish, spoken in the Terwana and Kariboo areas.

International codes