Deutera Sparta

Deutera Sparta

Flag of Deutera Sparta
Motto: Οίνος και Αλήθεια
[1]
Region	IPIan Free Archipelago
Capital	Sparta
Official Language(s)	Tarùsc
Leader	Vladimir Pausanias and Josif Agesilaus
Population
Currency	Iron Obol
NS Sunset XML

Summary

The Community of Deutera Sparta (Δευτέρα Σπάρτη) is a small, socially progressive diarchy, remarkable for its compulsory military service. Its compassionate, intelligent population are fiercely patriotic and enjoy great social equality; they tend to view other, more capitalist countries as somewhat immoral and corrupt.

The government is mainly concerned with Social Welfare, although Healthcare and Education are on the agenda. The tax rate is high and increases with the amount of income. Private enterprise is still formally illegal, but increasingly tolerated; for those in the know there is a slick and highly efficient black market in Basket Weaving.

Voting is compulsory. Crime -- especially youth-related -- is totally unknown. Deutera Sparta's national animal is the escherichia coli, which frolics freely in the nation's many lush forests, and its currency is the iron obol.

History and Politics

When the brief struggle came to an end in which the Socialist Democratic Party of Deutera Sparta (Amaranth Shade) barely defeated the competing Socialist Democratic Party of Deutera Sparta (Bordeaux Nuance), the two factions reached an agreement and decided to cooperate in instaurating an enlightened democratic diarchy. When reaching sixteen years of age all citizens of Deutera Sparta must register in the list of supporters of one, and one only, of the two parties, subsequently changing parties is possible, but very difficult. Those enrolled into the Amaranth faction get to appoint the secretary, chosen from a list of three candidates acclaimed by the general assembly of the Bordeaux party, while Bordeaux supporters elect the president choosing from a list of three names supplied by the central committee of the Amaranth party. Needless to say, this is rather confusing, and more so since tradition demands that during the course of elections all citizens be dead drunk, so that their true inner voice may be heard. The president stays in charge for a period of five years, the secretary is appointed for life.

The Community of Deutera Sparta has lived in peace ever since the two parties decided to cooperate, it is currently under the guidance of its supreme benevolent leaders: president elected Vladimir Pausanias Agiad (of the Amaranth Shade faction) and secretary appointed Josif Agesilaus Europontyd (of the Bordeaux Nuance faction).

Economy

General Overview

The economy of the small state is still struggling to recover after the civil war, but strategical decisions have been difficult to take. Pausanias and Agesilaus always seem to hold opposite views about any issue they are facing, therefore coming up with a reasonable compromise seems to be a long, slow and sometimes painful process.

Mining Industry

A source of uranium, a mineral previously completely unknown to the denizens of Deutera Sparta, has recently been discovered and the president and secretary are scratching their head, trying to find how on earth they might be able to put it to some use.

Agriculture

Fruits and berries abound in the forests of the island, raffia (dried palm fibers) is used to knit the traditionally scratchy clothing (non-scratchy clothing is regarded as a decadent luxury and widely despised), though the import of hemp fibers is steadily increasing and the government is considering whether to encourage local cultivations or not.

Donkeys are bred in large numbers, the characteristic and very rare horned donkey, once predominant in the whole archipelago, only survives here.

Currency

The official currency of Deutera Sparta is the iron obol, as iron was the only metal available in some abundance before uranium was recently discovered. Uranium coins were briefly considered, but they were eventually deemed impractical, even if they do tend to glow in the dark, which makes them easier to locate.

Culture

Language

The official language of Deutera Sparta is Tarùsc, but no native speaker of that ancient language survives. Nowadays citizen speak other dialects and languages, however unofficial.

Religion

The majority of citizens are atheists, large minorities practice the cult of Helios Sol Invictus or follow the belief in Athena, the Goddess of Reason. There are a few Kibologists as well.

Education

Yes, there is some. Or so we heard.

Culinary Art

The national dish of Deutera Sparta is Tapelùcco, a northern variant of the slightly more well-known Tapulòn of Borgomanero.

Music

Back in the day, Throbbing Gristle used to spend their holidays in Deutera Sparta. The folk musical traditions of the small island have not been the same since.