Difference between revisions of "Europolis"

Latest revision as of 13:39, 3 May 2007

Municipality of Europolis Gemeente Europolis
Region: Sisgardia Motto: Luctor et emergo Official Language(s): Dutch (most widely used) Russian, Taraskath (as per Grand Ducal Statute> Capital: Europolis Population: approx. 4 million Currency: Taraskovyan Frank Lord: Josef van der Voort
Calculators are evil.

The name of Europolis refers to the following geographic locations:

• The Europolis Isles in the northernmost tip of the Sisgardia region belonging to the Northern Fiefdom of the Grand Duchy of Tarasovka,
• The Knootian military base on the isles,
• The city of Europolis which services said base and serves as the major population centre for the isles.

Overview of the Europolis Isles

Map of the Europolis Isles (click to enlarge).

The majority of the islands’ inhabitants lives in the city of Europolis which sprawled over years to occupy the entire southern tip of the island of Groot Europolis. The other two most populated spots on the isles are the towns of Nieuw Dokkum on Groot Europolis and Nieuwhuizen on Klein Europolis, the rest of the population scattered irregularly throughout the islands, living in the other three major towns as well as a myriad of farms and small communities. The two islands are mainly devoted to agrarian use with tall white windmills dotting the slightly mountainous landscape, towering above hilly fields of various grain cultures.

Little canals for draining the land and large farmhouses by the waterside remind the visitor of some parts of rural Knootoss as it used to be. A tourist industry is being set up, such as using empty nuclear missile silos as sites for hotels. The quasi-entirety of the population consists of Dutch-speaking Knootian immigrants that came to islands while they still were counted as part of the Knootian Federation. Today the two isles form the Municipality of Europolis that is part of the Northern Fiefdom of the Grand Duchy of Tarasovka.

History

The Europolis islands were uninhabited until the arrival of the so-called “Dutch Roleplay Army”, an international force of nations from Nederland which was dispatched to Sisgardia in order to defend the allied Vortex Corporation from an impending attack by Ardan forces. The attack never came and the troops were assigned to command a permanent military structure in Sisgardia that became known as the Europolis Military Base. And as the sedentary status of the base was confirmed, its needs in workforce increased, sparking a wave of immigration from the Dutch Democratic Republic to the Europolis isles, a city quickly appearing around the main KDF base. It thus came to be that the name Europolis got associated with the names of the KDF base, the isles and the main city on the isles, the original name of the isles forgotten somewhere in the archives of Sisgardian cartographers.

Hans Couzy was made civilian governor-general of the island in addition to being the commander of the military base and after other Dutch nations withdrew the islands were incorporated into the Knootian Federation. As part of the agreement resolving the Shadow War Knootoss was not allowed to have nuclear weapons in Knootoss proper for 100 RL days. In order to keep the military capacity up ICBM silos were built in Europolis (amongst other locations).

The islands were later sold to Tarasovka as part of the Taraskovyan-Knootian Frame Convention on Cooperation, but the base itself was allowed to remain and is now in Taraskovyan territory. The nuclear weapons have been removed from the island but the emptied silos remain as hotels for tourists. Most of the original inhabitants of Knootian origins remain and now have both the Knootian and Taraskovyan citizenships.

Politics

The Municipality of Europolis, although being part of the Northern Fiefdom and Duchy, enjoys a great level of autonomy on the local level from the Fiefdom authorities. The Constitution of the Northern Fiefdom of summer 1148 AS cemented the particular status of the Municipality, granting it extensive rights. The Municipality of Europolis is responsible for education, culture, it has a greater power over the local police. It is also allowed to use Dutch as official language on the municipal level, along with the official languages of the Grand Duchy that are Russian and Taraskath.

It is organized into four constituencies, the City of Europolis, the West Europolis Volost, East Europolis Volost and Nieuwhuizen Volost. The City of Europolis serves as administrative center for the Municipality, the Lord (democratically elected) also acting as Mayor of the City of Europolis. The municipal authorities have the last word to say in any matters, but leave minor issues up to the Volosts, such as organization of various cultural events as well as organizing effective communication between the various farms in their area of jurisdiction.

KDF Base

The Knootian Defence Force detachment on the islands is commanded by Major-General Couzy. The extensive military complex, divided into two installations, has an airbase, a naval facility and barracks capable of handling strategic deployments of the KDF. The existence of the complex is backed by the Taraskovyan-Knootian Frame Convention on Cooperation, which specifies that the territory of the base, although being Taraskovyan, is leased free of charge to the Knootian side as long as the base complies with Taraskovyans regulations on environmental protection. The Grand Duchy, however, has the right to shut the base within no less than six months after warning the Knootian side of such an intention.