Candelaria And Marquez

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The Republic of Candelaria And Marquez
candelaria_and_marquez.jpg
National motto: Solidarity of the Nation
National anthem: O, Sweet Nation
Map Map of C&M
Official languages

English, Spanish
Both widely used
Region Rushmore
Capital Albrecht
Government

 - President
Parliamentary Democracy
(in practice)
James Anderson
UN Status un_member.gif
Nation Code RUCM
Area 43,987 km²
Population

9.5 million (2005 Census est.)
1.28 Billion (UN Estimate 2007)
Independence
 - as Dominion
 - as Republic
 - as 2nd Republic
from the United Kingdom
November 12th, 1885
July 15th, 1947
May 5th, 1960
Currency Reformed Pound
Currency Code CMRP
Internet TLD .cam
Calling Code 44
Time zone GMT0/+1
Stats: NSEconomy Sunset

The Republic of Candelaria And Marquez, formerly The Dominion of the Candelarias and The Republic of the Candelarias, is a country in the region of Rushmore comprising two large islands (the western generally referred to as Candelaria and the smaller eastern island as Marquez) and several smaller islands which are collectively, with their islets, known as the Outliers.

The population is traditionally of European descent, with an occasionally bitter if seldom openly hostile cultural split occurring between the predominantly British-influenced western island and Hispanic-dominated Marquez. Today the republic is a moderately well-integrated multi-ethnic welfare state with increasingly liberal attitudes to civil life and a foreign policy of (fairly) strict neutralism. It has claimed a negligible crime-rate for some years. Despite its agricultural heritage, the country is becoming increasingly urbanised with almost half the population now reciding in the heavily built-up areas known as the Strip.

The country - most commonly referred to as C&M - is usually considered an 'Inoffensive Centrist Democracy' by the United Nations, though it flips back and forwards with 'Democratic Socialists' something shocking. Its citizens are perversely proud of their nation's sheer averageness; newspaper polls showing an overwhelmingly favourable reaction to the March 2007 announcement that C&M was the 'least extreme' country in Rushmore.

After a largely abortive War of Independence in 1887; the islands gained full independence from Britain in 1947 as the Republic of the Candelarias and has maintained a peaceful attitude to it's neighbours and a stable government since, a major exception being the short but brutal Civil War from 1959-60 between those loyal to the autocratic Socialist regime and the opposition Liberal-Conservative alliance.

Political power is held by the democratically-elected House of Representatives, under the leadership of the anachronistically-titled President who is the Head of State and Head of Government.

Name

Main article(s): Place names of Candelaria And Marquez

The island group was first referred to as Candelaria in the late 16th Century by fishermen from Tenerife, who also later provided the name of the eastern island which became known as Marquez from its then administrative capital (today a small fishing community). The distinct use of 'Candelaria' for the largest island is a recent phenomenon used often dismissively by Marquezian Hispanics in the early 20th Century but shortly taken up by the island's inhabitants. The use of 'Candelarian' as the descriptive form of all peoples from the island group is theoretically accurate, but has become seen as discriminatory towards individuals from Marquez; an issue that has been seen to raise the passions of all ethnic and cultural groups on the island is recent years. As a result, most of the media and government have taken to using C&M (pronounced see-ænd-em) as the politically sensitive short-form name and adjective for the islands to avoid the cumbersome full form of ‘’Candelariasian’’.

Most of the islands' place names are derived from the surnames of early settlers, though many on the west coast of Marquez were anglicised, or replaced altogether, in the mid-19th Century. This too has provided a hotly debated bone of contention between the islands' people for many decades.

In a particularly bizarre episode of cross-island animosity in 1980, as a condition of their membership in the governing coalition the Free Marquez Party demanded a law forcing all publishers in the republic to capitalise the 'a' of 'And' in 'Candelaria And Marquez', in order to give 'equal status' to the two main islands. The move was widely derided but the law was passed, and there have been several successful prosecutions in the years since.

History

Main article(s): History of Candelaria And Marquez

<div" class="plainlinksneverexpand">WilliamDRobinson.jpg
William Dawes Robinson, PM 1868-72.
</div>

The Candelarian islands had no indigenous population before the arrival of Europeans - spearheaded by the Spanish - in the late 18th Century. British settlers arrived somewhat later but in larger numbers and with far better organisation. In the 1830s, the British government sent Thomas Jennings to the islands; who claimed sovereignty, established British law, and was appointed the first Governor. From 1840; British and other Anglophile settlers streamed into the Candelarias, leading to conflicts over land in Marquez. These came to an abrupt end in 1868 with the granting of limited self-government and the election of William D Robinson, who established comprehensive treaties with the Spanish-speaking population and relaxed laws on Latino immigration. Many of the subsequent stream of Spanish settlers were the first to derive much of their identity from the works of Australian-born, Caires-raised novelist, philosopher and socialist politician Reuben Merchant.

The impact of Reuben Merchant on the National Unionist movement and Candelarian identity in the late 19th century cannot be understated. Though his many works gained little notoriety outside of the islands, and have often been dismissed as derivative since, he was undoubtedly one of the foremost voices for socialism, agnosticism, secularism and feminism in the English language in his day. By 1880 his works were all-but required reading in Candelarian schools and he was considered by Britain the greatest threat to their hold of the islands.

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The Candelarias' flag from c. 1873 - 1947.
</div>

For all his reformist fervour, however, it was arguments over natural gas that sparked the Domestic Quarrel of Independence, as the NU seized on the takeover by the UK government of yet another key industry as a political issue. Miner's strikes were broken up with increasing force following the election of NU leader Tomer Hague as PM in 1885, with animosity between the islands' public and their colonial masters growing steadily until the Quiet Revolution of '87. With British forces concentrated in Balochistan; London was forced to present the Candelarias with Dominion status to avoid a potentially humiliating conflict. Hague remained PM until a surprise Liberal victory in 1903, but regained power twelve months later before resigning in 1906. An aging Reuben Merchant was his replacement but he died within a year. During their years out of power, the Liberals and Conservatives re-branded themselves under the Unionist banner and the early 20th century saw the NU slip away as a major political force. The islands became fully independent in 1947, the new Liberal Unionist government casting off the final shackles of British rule by officially becoming a Republic.

The 1959-60 Civil War came with little warning during a period of relatively great wealth in the islands. Historians will long debate how the spirit of optimism that saw the islands comprehensively elect their first Socialist Prime Minister, James McManus, turned into three years of political deadlock as the old ruling order condemned the newcomers as “Stalinist oppressors” and refused to recognise their leadership. Conflict broke out in earnest in January '59, during which the long-prophesised horrors of McManus' regime became apparent as thousands of protestors were slaughtered across Candelaria by troops believing their loyalty lay with the 'democratic' government. A long planned-for crackdown on free speech and sophisticated controls on the media allowed McManus and the Socialists to retain passionate obedience in key cities kept ignorant of the conditions mere miles away. Later in '59, the Marquez Nationalist Party, reluctant allies of former PM Percival Dolezal’s resistance, seized power in Marquez, declaring independence - recognised briefly by most Rushmori powers - while broadcasting an alternate view of the conflict to the loyal cities on Candelaria.

By early 1960 the need for a now formalised international intervention force was rendered moot by the assassination of McManus and three deputies by former Party allies who quickly declared an unconditional surrender. Fighting continued in the streets of northern towns for some months while an interim 'Government of National Reconciliation' under Kjell Olousson III was established. Over the following years nearly 700 convicted war criminals were imprisoned for life or exiled, the former Minister for Information, Thibault Benchabane, symbolically becoming the last man executed on the islands in 1961. David Clarke, a former Socialist Party member, became President in 1962, presiding over a period of rapid social and tangible rebuilding coupled, with notable success, by mass immigration and considerable change in social attitudes.

Despite remaining an instinctively left-wing state; C&M has been slower than others to grasp the nettle of social change. Restrictive attitudes to sex, drink and drugs remain deeply entrenched, while islanders marry younger and have more children than most comparative nations. Women remain less likely to work and the public remain squeamish over extra-marital infants and homosexuality. Attitudes are undoubtedly becoming rapidly more liberal, however, symbolised by the election to the position of Social Democratic & Green Party leader of Ariadne Jefferson in 2006, becoming the first woman, single parent, openly bisexual individual and person of non-European ethnic origin to lead a major political party.

Government

Main article(s): Politics of Candelaria And Marquez

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The Republic's rather ostentatious Parliament Building.
</div>

From 1868 until 1947 C&M was a constitutional monarchy under the British crown with a parliamentary democracy. Today, parliament has only one legislative chamber, the House of Representatives, which seats 260 members. Elections are held ever four years, with each citizen having two votes - one national, one for their local constituency. Two hundred members are appointed on a proportional basis from party lists. There is no threshold for representation. Upon the declaration of the Second Republic in 1960, the title of Head of Government was transferred to a popularly elected President. Oversights in the 1960 Second Constitution allowed David Clarke, who had become President in 1962 following the resignation of Kjell Olousson III, to become both President and Prime Minister after the 1964 election, being also the leader of the break-away Unionist Party which surprisingly won the House elections. In response to the Gordon Bay Incident, Clarke forbad the 1968, and all further, Presidential elections, a situation which has remained in place ever since, being officially recognised in a 1978 amendment. As a result, the leader of the largest party in the House becomes Head of State and President for a maximum of two terms. He/she appoints the Prime Minister and has the right to be consulted over all major ministerial appointments.

<div" class="plainlinksneverexpand">JamesAnderson.jpg
President James Anderson.
</div>

The current President is James Anderson, leader of the Unionist Party. Since 12 May 2004 the Unionists have been in formal coalition with the Conservative Party, the Libertarian-Unionists and Kezia Melkam, the Independent MotH for Warne, giving the government 135 members.

The Leader of the Opposition has been Modern Liberal Party leader Dr Robyn Morton since 9 February 2007, when she succeeded Sol McPhee. The Social Democratic & Green Party, led by Ariadne Jefferson are also in opposition. The seven other parties in the House all vote against the government on some legislation.

Key government members as of April 2007 include:

Vice-President Tate Sayfritz (Conservative)
Prime Minister Joseph Frank
Deputy Prime Minister Hasson Lazarus (Libertarian-Unionist)
Defence, Ben Cara Eliot
Finance, Saul Lewis
Foreign Affairs, Eric White
Social Affairs, Reuben Queseda
Regional Affairs, Tamara Amoruso

Upon full independence in 1947, the executive powers of the Monarch's Governor-General were transferred to a 100-seat Second Chamber called the Senate, with members appointed from a variety of sources. This held true until 1994, when all major political parties backed the Senate's reduction to an atrophied, largely advisory, twelve-member National Council appointed by the President, Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition. Its current chair is Jenna Kmosko.

Foreign relations and the military

Main article(s): Foreign relations of Candelaria And Marquez

Main article(s): Armed Forces of Candelaria And Marquez

For much of its early history; the Candelarias struck an isolationist and superior tone with the islands' regional neighbours, preferring to defer to the United Kingdom's lead. Relations took a downturn following the failed Minor Tiff of Independence, and by the end of World War I - in which the Candelarias suffered heavy losses - public opinion had turned strongly in favour of taking a more independent role in the world. Under the Liberal PM Oxford Birch, the islands remained officially neutral on the outbreak World War II, though provided economic assistance. The Candelarias finally entered the war in August 1943, but there was no compulsory conscription - indeed a genuine effort to encourage young men to help the war effort by staying at home - and in practical terms 1918 can be considered the last time C&M troops saw large-scale military action.

As Britain looked towards Europe in the latter half of the 20th century, so C&M's Presidents attempted to foster better relations with the nations of Rushmore. Despite the country's consistently high rate of youth unemployment over the decades, successive governments have resisted the temptation to used the armed forces as the dumping ground of otherwise socially difficult young men. As a result, the army is a relatively tiny but professional force that has taken a major role in peacekeeping duties in the region during the 90s, playing a significant part in resolving the regional Timonium conflict. With C&M's own national defence needs considered to be modest, much of the remaining Armed Forces are devoted to United Nations activity, an organisation to which the islands are a long-time member and supporter, and the relatively large and well-funded Navy.

In the early 21st century, C&M has punched above its weight in regional influence. It holds a seat on the Rushmore Senate, where it is represented by former Unionist Party MotH and leadership candidate Oran Shehata. President Anderson has been largely supportive of the Switzaland-led hegemony, however C&M abstained from the vote to join with the Great Green Federation, and has taken an ambivalent tone over the alliance in general. Certain fears were allayed in April 2007, however, when Minister for Narcotics Abuse, Ben Johnson, confirmed that the islands' traditional strong stance against drug use, selling and importation would remain unaffected by outside pressure.

Geography

<div" class="plainlinksneverexpand">MountLo.jpg
The oddly named Mount Lo, the largest of
the even stranger named peaks of Mayo Valley.
</div>

The earliest Spanish settlers made their homes on the west coast of Marquez and the islands to the south, taking advantage of then-plentiful fish stocks. Later British arrivals favoured the largest island, but soon discovered the mountainous and rocky nature of the island's inland. As a result, human habitation has traditionally been limited to the east coast, the heavily built-up area known as 'the Strip'. Later expansion brought towns to the banks of rivers and lakes, but successive governments have still preferred to extend pre-existing settlements than begin new towns in harsh territory. For this reason, the islands long claimed huge, untouched vistas of lush vegetation, while much of Marquez was heavily forested well into the 20th century. The march of the timber industry and the discovery of substantial uranium deposits, however, has seen massive deforestation; to the extent that the UN long referred to the Republic as 'barren and inhospitable'. However, the green energy policies enacted on during the Clark administration, and their unlikely uptake by the current administration has seen an obvious improvement in the state of the nation's environment.

The country's highest peak is Mount Lo, part of the Mayo Valley near Vo, which is 916 m (3,005 feet). The largest body of water is Lake Wessex in central Candelaria. The islands' total area is 43,987 km² (27,332 square miles).
<div" class="plainlinksneverexpand">NWCandelarianarWebley.jpg
A typical hamlet in North-West Candelaria, near Webley.
</div>

Overall, the islands have a mild but changeable climate all year round. The islands experience few weather extremes. The warmest recorded air temperature was 32.8°C (91.04°F) in Albrecht on 13 June 1901. The coldest air temperature was -21.2°C (-6.16°F) in Brayton on 8 January 1881. The climate is typically insular and of a temperate nature. Precipitation falls throughout the year, but is light overall, particularly in Marquez. Candelaria tends to be wetter on average and prone to the full force of storms, especially in the late autumn and winter months, which occasionally bring destructive winds and high rainfall totals to the north-west, as well as snow and hail. Though not noted for its snowfall, both the major islands experience some snowfall each winter, though its intensity varies with south Marquez recording the least snow and with north-east Candelaria more prone. Some areas along the south coasts and the Outliers haven't had any lying snow for the past 12 years, with January 1995 being the last such event.

There are noticeable differences in temperature between coastal and inland areas. Inland areas are warmer in summer, and colder in winter - there are usually around 40 days of below freezing temperatures (0°C) at inland weather stations, but only 10 days at coastal stations. The temperature difference can be seen in very short distances, for example the average daily maximum temperature in July in Clotaire is 23°C (73.4°F), while it is only 18°C (64.4°F) in Khatib, just 54.1 kilometres (33.6 miles) away. The average daily minimum temperatures in January in these locations also differ, with only -3°C in Clotaire and 0°C in Khatib. The islands are occasionally affected by heat waves, most recently in 2003.

Average temperatures in the islands vary from -4°C (min) to 11°C (max) in January and 9°C (min) to 23°C (max) in July. One of the coldest nights for the past few years was recorded on Friday, 9 February 2007 when air temperatures in the capital Albrecht dipped to -5ºC (23ºF) with parts of Marquez recording lows of -9ºC (15.8ºF).

Flora and fauna

The Candelarias have fewer animal and plant species than mainland Rushmore because they became islands shortly after the end of the last Ice Age about 8,000 years ago. Many different habitat types are found in the islands, including farmland, open woodland, temperate forests, conifer plantations, peat bogs, and various coastal habitats.

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A mediocre fish, looking in an easterly direction.
</div>

In the early years of human habitation, the islands' economy depended to a great degree on fishing, which has perhaps inevitably resulted in a serious decline in both the stocks of fish overall and number of species within C&M's waters. By far the most famous creature in the islands is Oncorhynchus mediocris, known colloquially since the 19th century as the mediocre fish, either for its mildly orange colour or utter blandness. Small and agile enough to avoid most fisherman's nets and essentially inedible, it became one of the islands' few aquatic success stories, and its sheer tenacity earned it the title of National Animal in the 1923. Since then, however, there has been significant destruction of its habitat and the fish is considered endangered. They don't look anything like goldfish, what anyone says. They're salmon, for heaven's sake.

Few mammal species are native to the islands, again because of their long-term isolation from mainland Rushmore. Some species, such as the red fox, badger, grey squirrel and otter and are very common, whereas others, like the red squirrel, red deer, terminal burrowing zpinh and treeshrew are less common and generally seen only in certain national parks and nature reserves around the islands. Some introduced species have become thoroughly naturalised, e.g. rabbits, black rats and capybaras. Species that have become extinct to the islands include the wolf, the mountain hare, the fisherman bat, the bear, the hedgehog, and several native cattle breeds.

<div" class="plainlinksneverexpand">Petersonsseaeagle.jpg
A Peterson's Sea Eagle, looking all majestic. This one's name is Steve.
Females are usually larger than the males, with a considerably greater
wing-span. This one's a male. On account of being called Steve.
</div>

About 300 species of birds have been recorded in the islands. Many of these species are migratory. There are arctic birds, which come in the winter, and birds such as the Rossheim lesser gulp, which come from Africa in the summer to breed. The islands - particularly the Outliers, have a rich marine avifauna, with many large seabird colonies dotted around its coastline such as those on Knee Island and the Valero Islands north-east of Marquez. Also of note is Peterson's Sea Eagle, recently and controversially reintroduced after decades of extinction.

Native snakes include the European adder and water snake, while the most common lizard is the Common Lizard. There are numerous amphibians, the most common being the common frog, the midwife toad and the bleeding toad, of which only the frog is native. Certain marine turtle species appear regularly off the south west coast but do not come ashore.

Until relatively recently the largest two islands were heavily forested with oak, fir, alder and chestnut. Forests now cover about 19% of the land. Because of its temperate climate, many species, including sub-tropical ones will grow on the islands. Much of the land is now covered with pasture, and there are many species of wild-flower. Whin, a wild furze, is commonly found growing in the uplands, and ferns are plentiful in the more moist regions, especially in the western parts of Candelaria. They are home to hundreds of plant species, some of them unique to the islands, others having been introduced, either artificially or by dumb luck.


Economy

Candelaria And Marquez has a modern, prosperish, developed economy with an estimated GDP of $6000 billion. The country has a middling standard of living with GDP per capita estimated at a distressing $4,584. The Exchange Rate is 1 reformed pound for 25 cents. There is no black market to write home about.

In the past, the islands were heavily dependent on agricultural trade, with a huge proportion of their output exported. The country kept up a strong trading relationship with the United Kingdom both prior to and after the Civil War, but UK's membership of the European Community and the rapid growth in agricultural output by the islands' near neighbours, led to a protracted and very severe economic crisis, during which living standards in the islands fell behind many countries in both motherland Europe and continental Rushmore. In 1988, the newly-elected government of Xavier Hrehoresin re-valued the currency as the Reformed Pound (C&MR£), and engaged in major macroeconomic restructuring, transforming C&M from a highly protectionist and regulated economy to a liberalised free-trade economy. Throughout the latter years of the Hrehoresin administration the Republic unemployment rate began to rise sharply and the country experienced a steady "brain drain", leading to a significant programme of re-nationalisation of industry under |President Clark. The focus of Clark and his Finance Minister Charity Morini on uranium mining proved economically successful but has often been criticised as unethical, and many government-operated mines were shut down as a result of the SD&G Party's presence in the 2000-04 governing coalition. There then followed a shift in focus to gambling-related tourism, despite strong disapproval from the often socially puritan elements of the country's traditional Left, and the industry is now predominately in private hands.

Recent years has seen the export of software-related goods and services, as well as small computer and automobile parts, become a major growth industry, alongside the publishing of books and other media prohibited by less free nations.

Since the elected of James Anderson, the country's base rate of tax has swollen to 60%, with the greatest portion spent on Education. The Unionist government aims to end the days where the country's intellectual elite had to move abroad for their higher learning, as well as slow the reliance on foreign-born doctors, nurses, teachers and other valued workers, and the years since 2004 has seen major restrictions placed on all but the most skilled or needy immigrants from nations outside the modern RRFTA bloc. Emphasis instead has been placed on insentivising large families and stay-at-home mothers.

Demographics

Main article(s): Demographics of Candelaria And Marquez

Approximately 85% of the C&M population are of European descent. In the 2005 census nearly 45% of the population claimed majority ancestry from the British Isles, but such statistics are difficult to sustain, since throughout the islands' history, many immigrants of continental European ancestry have anglicised their names, or adopted new ones altogether. The census also suggested that around 16% of citizens were of Hispanic origin, a claim disputed by Marquezian nationalist groups - who would put the figure at considerably higher. Issues arise with those of mixed Hispanic and non-Hispanic ancestry, as well as the many who are increasingly living lives separate from the insular traditions of their ancestors.

While always committed to retaining the Anglo-Spanish flavour of it’s culture and government, C&M has long had a relatively open immigration policy. Italians, Dutch and Czechs were the largest non-mainstream groups to arrive throughout the 19th century, but each new generation has provided a different face to new Candelarians. Considerable Swedish and Turkish immigration occurred in the late 1800s, along with the beginnings of the islands' small but long-standing Romany community. The most notable new additions of the early 20th century included many thousands of refugees from South America, considerably bolstering the islands' Spanish-speaking population, as well as providing the first major influx of obviously non-white individuals. Recent decades have brought many Chinese, Africans (particularly Nigerians) and Pakistanis to the islands, who have been integrated with relative ease into a country with little prior experience of multi-racial society. Despite the innately dualistic nature of the islands' people and culture, society has long been ambivalent towards notions of multi-culturalism. The earliest settlers from European minority groups were welcomed, but strongly encouraged to abandon their own languages and much of their distinct national identities. The presence of many foreign words and expressions in Candelarian English, as well as the rich culinary variety of the islands, suggests that this advice was not always taken up, but it is certainly true that there is little evidence of interest in the dual identities that are apparent and encouraged in many other mixed-origin nations. Many even question whether there is any such thing as a distinct Hispanic culture, even on Marquez, with seemingly increasing numbers abandoning Spanish, given their children English names, and showing an increasingly ambivalent attitude towards their community's traditional staunch Catholicism. Public debate over multi-culturalism in the country has centred on the recent influx of Turkish immigrants, who are seen to live lives far detached from mainstream society. Media reports regularly associate this group with drug-related gun-crime, an issue that found popular support after the March 2001 death of schoolboy Adam Gerrard in the cross-fire between two gangs. The murder has since propelled the boy's mother, Landi Gerrard-Landolfi to the position of C&M's Minister for Social Justice, a platform she has used to criticise both the shadowy nature of some immigrant groups and their perceived demonisation in the media.

The presence of a small ethnic Rushmori community should be noted, though significant immigration control has kept the population thinly spread across the islands.

The 2005 census indicated that Christianity was by far the largest faith with some 49% of respondents identifying themselves as adherents. Anglicanism was still the major denomination, though Roman Catholicism has showed signs of catching up. Islam and Buddhism accounted for 2% and 1.5% respectively. The majority of the remainder identified themselves as 'non-religious', a fact which supports the limited impact of faith in public life. The secularist influence of the works of Reuben Merchant, and the country's natural quiet socialism, has led to an often militantly agnostic approach by much of the press, which regularly mocks politicians and other figures who express strong religious convictions.

Culture

Main article(s): Culture of Candelaria And Marquez

Contemporary Candelaria And Marquez has a diverse culture which has developed beyond its original English, Scottish, Welsh, Irish and Spanish influences. Like many English-speaking countries, C&M has been successful in assimilating the favoured elements of foreign language, music, traditions, dress and cuisine. The latter case has perhaps had the most influence, with Italian, Chinese, Indian, Brazilian and Turkish dishes in particular surpassing many traditional British and Spanish eating habits in their popularity and widespread use. The republic is very much part of the modern world culture; with art, music, film and television - whether popularist or high-society - as likely to be of foreign origin as home-grown. Music from larger English-speaking nation traditionally dominated the charts in the second half of the 20th century, but local acts have shown signs of beginning to hold their own. The islands’ literary and artistic output is modest but notable; particularly that from the late nineteenth century.

Most popular television and radio stations, as well as newspapers, cover the entire country and as such their numbers are relatively limited, but take-up is never-the-less large. The main TV broadcasters are TV1, TV2, and the commercial TTO and OnwereTV. The country’s most successful newspapers are both based in the capital; being the broadsheet Albrecht Herald and tabloid Albrecht Mercury.

Sports

Main article(s): Sport in Candelaria And Marquez

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Millerman Sheppard Stadium, shared by the national football team
and the country's two biggest clubs, Albrecht FC and A.Turks.
</div>

The ubiquitousness of British culture in the islands inevitably brought a love of amateur sport; association football, cricket and rugby having been wildly popular for many decades. The professional scene has always suffered, however, and none more so than football. A professional league was finally set up in the 1940s, but a poor financial situation, and regular severe clashes between opposistion supporters, resulted in the league's collapse in the early 1970s. Not until 1983 did the C&M FA create a new amateur cup competition, becoming a full 16-team professional league in 1992. The CMSC is now the most watched sports championship in the country.

Other sports do test football in it’s' popularity. Despite the indifferent attitude to private vehicles in the islands, the AutoSportSeries has become a major national event since its inception in 1992. The highest number of championship points by a single driver were amassed by Riik-born driver Ivar Loone in 1999. Loone was deported the following year for tax evasion. Local drivers Quintin Wright and Pat Berryman have dominated the competition however, having won nine championships this decade between them. Two of the ASS' major manufacturers, Morales Racing and Patton-Carmichael, resigned from the Series recently to combine forces in the World Grand Prix Championship; taking Wright and Berryman with them. Though controversial, the move has been supported by the national government, and the final leg of the WGPC Season 6 will be held at Albrecht's City West racetrack.

One of the few sports that C&M excels in internationally is - perhaps unsurprisingly - yacht racing, where Hannah Wisniewski has dominated the short-cource women's events in Rushmore for the past decade. Domestically she has won ten of the last eleven National Championships, smashing her own record in 2005 to beat the field by 33 minutes. The following year her winning margin was cut to just two minutes by her fifteen-year-old protégé Eleigh Roberts. Wisniewski and Roberts went on to win the 2006 C&M Sports Personality of the Year and Young Sports Personality of the Year awards respectively.

The country has in recent years begun sending teams to international competitions; the national football team gaining a modicum of success at various levels. Indeed; the country’s sporting adventures may be that for which C&M is now best known around the world.

International Comparisons

As of April 2007, the independent Sunset organisation provides the following estimates:

  • Worker Enthusiasm: 77%
  • Government Efficiency: 96%
  • Consumer Confidence: 68%
  • Unemployment: 21.08%
  • Population Growth Rate: 2.4%
  • Literacy: 100%

The United Nations publishes regular reports on various aspects of the states of the World (approximately 90,000) and Rushmore (between 80 and 90ish). Recent records include:

  • Healthiest (9,654th/6th)
  • Most Liberal (37,832st/61st)
  • Largest Agricultural Sector (68,458/53rd)
  • Largest Gambling Industries (24,109th/10th)
  • Most Subsidised Industry (83,865th/85th)
  • Highest Average Tax Rates (35,014th/46th)
  • Highest Police Ratios (62,284th/61st)
  • Smartest Citizens (14,545th/17th)
  • Largest Trout Fishing Sector (75,439th/76th)
  • Highest Unemployment Rate (64,027th/65th)
  • Fastest-Growing Economies (67,069th/56th)
  • Most Devout (79,914th/92nd)
  • Largest Timber Woodchipping Industries (66,549th/44th)
  • Most Cultured (19,214th/25th)
  • Most Corrupt Governments (75,421st/62nd)
  • Most Compassionate Citizens (10,121st/20th)
  • Largest Publishing Industries (22,158th/15th)
  • Largest Public Sector (30,007th/37th)
  • Most Extreme Nations (87,790th/86th)