Democratic Colonies

Federated Union of Democratic Colonies

Motto: Life is Short, Glory Eternal
National Anthem: For All Mankind
Establishment	January 1, 1963
Government Type	Constitutional Republic
Map	Click Here to View
Capital	City of Viconia, Administrative Area of Vedra
Languages  - National  - Regional	English Imperial Vedran, Res'Pago
Population	9,500,000,000 +
Gross Domestic Product (USD)	$364,796,641,760,000
GDP Per Capita (USD)	Estimated $37,500 to $38,500
Currency	1 Democratic Colonies Credit (DCred) = 100 Democratic Colonies Cents (DCents)

The Federated Union of Democratic Colonies is a collection of ten islands in the Pacific Ocean, united under a central government. It's economic data is regularly tracked, recorded, and made available for public consumption by the international NS Dossier organization. The Democratic Colonies is a relatively young nation, having been formed on January 1, 1963. It is a democratic nation, with a two tier legislative assembly, and an executive Presidential office. The Democratic Colonies considers itself to be a pioneer in minority rights and a strong supporter of human rights, but is often criticized for what many perceive to be a institutional bias against religious organizations.

The Democratic Colonies is not a member of any mutual defense pacts or alliances, although does enjoy free trade with the United Kingdom of Oceania through the Free Commerce and Trade Association of Democratic Nations.

Government Structure

The Ten Administrative Areas, or Colonies

The Democratic Colonies is divided into ten Administrative Areas, commonly referred to as Colonies for historical purposes. The internal workings of each Colony vary slightly, but each does maintain an elected assembly that serves to create and pass laws, as well as a separately elected Governor that serves as the executive of the assembly. The governments of all ten Colonies are considered to be subservient to the central Federal Government, and are not permitted to pass laws in violation of, or in conflict with, any Federal laws.

The Federal Legislative Assembly

At the Federal level, there exists a two tier Legislative Assembly, consisting of the Congress and the Senate.

• The Federal Congress

The Federal Congress has 5000 members elected in a nation wide election. Every party registered to participate in the election gains a seat in the Congress for every .02% of the popular vote that they receive. Members of Congress are not tied to any particular geographic location. Members of Congress are elected every 5 years, and no limit on the number of terms served exists. Proposed laws, called bills, can be proposed in either the Congress or the Senate, but must gain the approval of both levels as well as the President before becoming law.

• The Federal Senate

The Federal Senate is composed of 100 members representing the individual Colonies. The Senate was created in order to provide citizens with officials directly accountable to them, since Senators are tied to specific Colonies. The number of seats an Administrative Area holds is based upon the percentage of the national population that the Colony contains. Senators are elected every 5 years, and no limit on the number of terms served exists. Proposed laws, called bills, can be proposed in either the Congress or the Senate, but must gain the approval of levels as well as the President both before becoming law.

The Secretaries

The departments of the Federal Government, such as Defense, Foreign Affairs, Education, Commerce, and so on, have Secretaries that oversee their operation. Secretaries are appointed by the Legislative Assembly, with approval by the President. Should a President disapprove of an appointed Secretary, a 75% majority in the Legislative Assembly is able to overrule the President. Should the President and a Secretary disagree on a matter, a Secretary with the support of 90% of the Legislative Assembly can override the President. The Attorney General and the Surgeon General, heads of the Department of Law and Order and the Department of Health respectively, are equivalent to Secretaries and hold "Secretary" as a secondary title. No limit to the time a person serves as a Secretary exists.

The President

The President serves as the chief executive of the nation, but is limited by the Legislative Assembly and the Secretaries. If the President-Elect receives less then 50% of the popular vote, confirmation of his or her appointment must be provided by a majority of the Legislative Assembly. The President is elected in a nation wide election every 5 years, and no limit on the number of terms served exists. The President can veto a bill but can be overridden by atleast 80% of the Legislative Assembly, or 60% and the support of the Federal Secretary whose area of responsibility includes the matters included in the bill.

The Federal Supreme Court

The Federal Supreme Court serves in one capacity to ensure that any laws passed by the Federal Government adhere to the Constitution of the Democratic Colonies, the Unification Act of 1963, and the Charter of Rights.

The Vedran Imperial Family and the Royal Family of Andromeda

The Vedran Imperial Family and the Royal Family of Andromeda serve a mostly ceremonial purpose in the modern government, primarily serving as symbolic figureheads for the legislative assemblies of their respective Colonies and carrying out the issuance of various federal awards, decorations, and titles.

Notable awards, decorations and titles issued by the Vedran Imperial Family and the Royal Family of Andromeda include:

• The titles of Sir and Lady, awarded to senior civil servants, specially awarded military personnel, and citizens of outstanding character or achievement.

• The Tear of the Vedran Empress, awarded to military personnel for acts of great self sacrifice and gallant chivalry. Usually awarded posthumously.

• The Sword of the Royal Andromedan Honor Guard, awarded to military personnel for acts of exceptional courage in the face of great danger.

• The Pauldron of the Royal Andromedan Honor Guard, awarded to military personnel for exceptional acts or conduct preventing or minimizing conflict that would otherwise bring about negative effects on the Democratic Colonies or its interests.

The Ten Administrative Areas, or Colonies

The ten Administrative Areas, or Colonies that today are the Democratic Colonies come from a variety of historical and cultural backgrounds, and continue to have distinctive language and culture unique unto themselves. English is the standard language spoken by nearly all citizens of the Democratic Colonies, but in many cases the languages of pre-unification live on, coexisting with the official tongue.

• Vedra

Vedra holds the nation's capitol Viconia, as well as Passchendale, considered the nation's cultural hub and home to the highly talented DC film industry. Vedra rests along the northern coast of the Colony, while Passchendale is situated on the southern coast. These two cities house a vast majority of the Colony's population and industry, as the already cramped island also is home to a modest natural reserve in the centre of its mass. Mining of metals and ores occurs on a large scale in the central areas of the island.

Vedra was originally colonized by the United States of America in 1822. The original inhabitants of the island, ruled by an Imperial family and numbering only in the thousands, were entirely assimilated into the culture of the American settlers by the turn of the century. The Vedran Imperial family is continued today by descendants of the original Imperial family, and serves as a figurehead for the Vedran Congress.

Approximately 35% of the population of the Democratic Colonies lives in Vedra.

• Andromeda

Andromeda is one of the nation's most popular tourist destinations. Serendipity, the Colony's capitol, is situated on the island's northern coast, has the most attractive beaches in the nation, is home to many renowned live theatres and musical groups, and is the hub of the massive DC technology development industry. Due to an overall focus on high-tech industries instead of traditional industries, and the careful maintenance of large natural reserves, Andromeda Colony is the cleanest, least polluted of the major Colonies. Due to the government's efforts to minimize the ecological impact on the island, nearly the entire population inhabits either Serendipity, or the small coffee growing settlements to the island's east.

Andromeda became a dominion of the British Empire in 1799, when Royal Navy Captain Willian Taggart challenged and defeated King Orti'Ago in a traditional battle to the death, and claimed the title of King of Res'Pago, renamed Andromeda by the British. The natives of the island accepted the leadership of Captain Taggart, and were eventually assimilated into the greater British culture. Today, the descendants of Captain William Taggart continue as the Royal family of Andromeda, and serve as a figurehead for the Parliament of Andromeda.

Approximately 20% of the population of the Democratic Colonies lives in Andromeda.

• Fairweather

Fairweather is a Colony that lies further to the west then any other. Its capitol of Trademeet has benefited greatly from its western location, as it has served as a valuable commercial and shipping traffic hub between the more eastern Colonies and the nations of Asia. Due to the small surface area of Fairweather, the city of Trademeet constitutes over half of the Colony, with metal mining sites and commercial vineyards making up the rest. Trademeet is home to a large industrial sector, including most of the Democratic Colonies' automotive production plants.

Fairweather was originally uninhabited when the British East India Company established it as a port of call in 1860, where goods en route to and from the Orient could be managed and processed.

Approximately 20% of the population of the Democratic Colonies lives in Fairweather.

• Athena

Athena is a mountainous and volcanic island that is for the most part, unsafe due to the risk of volcanic eruption. The capitol of Candle Keep is one of the few safe areas on the island. Athena is mineral rich, and is the primary source of the nation's metals, precious metals, precious stones, and mineral ores, and is also where much of the industrial production of the Democratic Colonies takes place.

Athena was originally settled by the British in 1890, primarily as a mining settlement, although its population quickly grew.

Approximately 10% of the population of the Democratic Colonies lives in Athena.

• Wynford

Wynford is the primary source of oil and natural gas for the Democratic Colonies. The capitol of Balmora is where most of the Colony's population calls home.

Wynford was originally settled by Dutch explorers in 1755, but had most of its population lost to a hurricane in 1781. Following this, the Dutch government sold the island to the British Pacific Development Company, who ignored it for the most part. Wynford was purchased from the British Pacific Development Company in 1896 by an American oil tycoon named Alex Brooks, who used his personal wealth to settle the island. Upon Brook's death in 1916, the United States government, concerned about the well being of the island's American settlers, purchased the island from Brooks' estate, and then proceeded to lease large portions of the island to a variety of oil companies. The City of Balmora is a popular destination for both domestic and international tourists, because of its lively nightlife and casinos.

Approximately 10% of the population of the Democratic Colonies lives in Wynford.

• The Five Minor Colonies

The Colonies of Kearond, Rinkus, Grace, Sagittarius, and Lockheart are referred to as the Minor Colonies because combined, they house only 5% of the population of the nation. They are of important economic value to the Democratic Colonies, notably Kearond because of its agricultural industry and Sagittarius because of its steel and copper mining industries, but are considered to be culturally minor.

Current Government and Politics

The current political atmosphere in the Democratic Colonies is stable with a high degree of civic confidence in the state, although a number of key issues in recent years have driven the political mainstream further to the fiscal right than many long time politicians are accustomed to.

Current government budget data is available through the international NS Dossier organization[1].

Current President, Legislative Assembly, and Secretaries

The current executive of the Federated Union of Democratic Colonies is Sir Gordon S. Lewis of the Progressive Fiscal Conservative Party. President Lewis enjoys moderate popularity with the public, with the most recent polls indicating a 65% approval rating amoung citizens of voting age.

The Legislative Assembly is considered by many analysts to be in a well balanced state, with power wielded by all three major parties as well as a number of minor parties and coalitions.

The Federal Congress currently seats:

The core ten Federal Secretaries are currently: