Jaghur

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United Capitalist Republic of Jaghur
jaghur.jpg To be posted
Jaghurian Flag Jaghurian Seal
Motto: "For the Freedom, Honor, and Unity of the Republic"
National Anthem: "Onward, to the Gates of Providence"
See "Geography" Section For Map
Region Rogue Alliance
Capital Aloria
Largest city Aloria
Official Language(s) Jaghurian English
Government
 - Prime Jaghuran John W. Ralanson
Loderna Revolution (see History section) 15th century
Population Roughly 4 billion
Currency miron (JAM)
Internet TLD .jag
Calling code +0119
ISO Code JAGH
NS Sunset XML

History

The beginnings of the United Capitalist Republic of Jaghur reach back into the Middle Ages, in the tenth century.

The first populating of Jaghur began in 919, when the Norse raider Ivar Arnasterkii and his fleet were sailing farther south than any had dared to go before (see “Geography” for the approximate latitudinal location of Jaghur). The fleet was caught in a vicious storm that blew the Norsemen completely off course; after the storm cleared, several boats needed repairs and much of the stock had gone bad. Fortunately for Arnastrerkii and his men, they came across a pleasant land with no indigenous inhabitants and much in the way of resources. They decided to stay in this new land for a short period of time while rebuilding the boats and replenishing their supplies.

After all was said and done, there was some dissent as to the course of action. Some of the raiders wanted to stay in the beautiful land they had discovered, while the others wanted to return home. Arnasterkii mediated what would have turned out to be a bloody conflict by compromising; the raiders would leave for the time being but then return at a later date. Both sides agreed to the plan, and the raiders left. However, Arnasterkii never was able to fulfill his promise nor did he or any of his men see that wonderful land again. They sailed into another unruly storm, and all of their ships sank into the sea. Arnasterkii survived, but only to die a few weeks later after being taken in by an old healer who found Arnasterkii lying half dead on a beach. This healer, whose name is not known, recorded that Arnasterkii made a prediction that, one day, one of his heirs (as his young son, along with his wife, were waiting for his return) would return to the land where he and his men found respite. His prediction turned out to be correct.

In 1019, one hundred years later, Arnasterkii’s great-grandson, Erik, came to the land where his great-grandfather once trod. Erik named the land Jaghur, the name which has stuck with it from the past to the present. Erik, along with a large number of Norse men and women, began building cities and castles, and soon Erik was named Erik Arnasterkii, King of Jaghur (which was really only a title as Jaghur was not yet unified; a feudal system was in place until 1459, during Jaghur’s Renaissance, which began in the 1360s). For about two hundred years, Erik and his descendants ruled Jaghur wisely and peacefully, and their people grew. However, this peace was not to last forever.

An English noble by the name of William Brandon became interested in Jaghur, and in 1288 sent a large army to seize it. His men deposed the last of the Arnasterkii line in the Battle of the Coast, fought near what is now the capital city, Aloria. William Brandon then became King of Jaghur (again, it was just a title), but instead of oppressing the numerous Norse people, he and the rest of the Englishmen co-mingled with them. Another period of peace ensued, which lasted until 1459, when several unfair tax laws proposed and approved by the nobility ignited the middle and working classes into a frenzy. The Loderna Revolution (1459-1460; named after the city in which it initiated in) spread like a wildfire, and soon all of the nobility were stripped of their titles and most of their wealth. No longer was a feudal system in a place; the cities become autonomous city-states, similar to the system used by the Ancient Greeks. Each city-state was headed by a common council. This system encouraged competition between each city-state, and as a result Jaghur modernized rapidly and was strongly influenced by Western culture from the 1460s to the 1770s, when Jaghur wrapped itself in an isolationist policy.

The reason for the isolationism was the Gustin-Bertolli War (1774-1776), when Gustin (see map) attacked the neighboring city of Bertolli (again, see map) to gain valuable resources. All of the other city-states quickly came to the aid of Bertolli, and Gustin was defeated. The government officials and high-ranking military officers who instigated the attack were condemned to death by hanging, but the soldiers were granted amnesty. Because of the possible future occurrence of a similar conflict, members of the common councils from the eight largest city-states met in Aloria to discuss ways to prevent another occurrence. They bickered and argued for six years, but finally, on July 19, 1782 (this date is marked as the official date of formation), Jaghur was officially unified under the name, The United Capitalist Republic of Jaghur. The Constitution was written and ratified in the years to come, and on January 1, 1791, Joseph Wilson was officially elected as Prime Jaghuran (see “Politics”). From that point, Jaghur went into a period of modernization simply called the Golden Age, although interaction in foreign affairs was limited.

Several years ago, Jaghur declared war on the nation of Entsteig with its only true friend in the international community, the nation of Karchosia, and other various nations that joined later. It was a foolish attempt, especially considering the implications of declaring a war which you are almost sure to lose. The war only lasted for a few months, and there was almost no military combat (it was primarily a political war). After this point, Jaghur went into a dark period. It completely withdrew from international affairs for a handful of years, and the economy went into a fairly major recession, almost bordering depression. In addition, Karchosia fell into a period of anarchy and economic depression and was lost to corrupt politicians, although they have now resurfaced due to various government reforms, and have changed their moniker to Karchozia.

Some would say it would have been the downfall of Jaghur if not for the election of John W. Ralanson to the office of Prime Jaghuran, who cleaned up the act of the previous leaders. The economy boomed and the citizens enjoyed the various reforms of Wilson's governmental plan. There was even a rebirth in international affairs, and in war.

During Jaghur's "dark period", Varyl, a colony of Jaghur, began to implement certain policies so as to gain independence and increase its foreign trade outside of the region. Soon after the election of John W. Ralanson, Jaghur declared war to keep control of its colony. What followed was indicative of the war with Entsteig, although it drew the attention of different nations and there was military combat. After only a few months fighting, the war ended in a stalemate. Varyl became a protectorate and remains so to this day, largely in part due to the military action of the nation of Xeraph. Immediately following the war, to the surprise of Jaghurian citizens, Xeraph and Jaghur became allies.

Currently, Jaghur merely watches the events that transpire within the international community with content, although there is a strong possibility of war with Wandering Companies, an enemy of Karchozia.

Politics

The political system of Jaghur is of a democratic style, with four main branches: the judicial, the legislative, the executive, and the ministerial, although the ministerial is usually considered a sub-branch of the executive branch, so it is generally listed under the executive branch.

Judicial Branch

The judicial branch, obviously, deals with the justice system. As of now, there are seven official justices (all of whom are appointed by the Prime Jaghuran and approved by the Jaghurian Senate) on the Jaghurian Supreme Court, each of whom must be at least 40 years old and have a doctorate in law, among other various requirements. The terms of the justices last for 20 years; however, they may retire after their tenth year. The Justices are as follows:

  • Chief Justice Howard Wermer
  • Justice Margaret Petersen
  • Justice Paul Smith
  • Justice William Galman
  • Justice George Frederick
  • Justice Orwell Namundr
  • Justice Vernon Millsby

Trials in regional and city courts usually involve a presiding judge, with a jury deciding the innocence or guilt of the accused, although for minor cases a judge usually makes the final decision. All citizens are granted habeas corpus.

Legislative Branch

The legislative system consists of the Jaghurian Senate and the Regional Delegates. Both of these divisions primarily deal with the introduction of new laws, although the Regional Delegates are representatives for the people of a particular region. Obviously, the Regional Delegates are citizens of the region which they represent. Senators are elected by the people and Regional Delegates are appointed by the Regional Governors and approved by the Senate.

The process of introducing a law

New laws are introduced by the people. They propose a bill to either their local governments to change local law or their regional governments to change national law (regional governments abide by only the national laws; however, local governments can extend upon these laws or change them, to a certain extent). For local law, the city council reviews and votes upon the bill. A bill must have more than two-thirds of the council votes to be passed and then it is endorsed by the mayor. For national law, the Regional Delegates from the region where the bill is proposed must endorse it. After it is endorsed, the Senate will vote upon it. More than half of the Senate votes are needed to pass a bill. If a bill is passed, the Prime Jaghuran can either endorse or veto it. If it is endorsed, it will be made into law. If it is vetoed, a two-thirds or more majority vote from the Senate will make it into law. Otherwise, the bill will not be made into law.

Executive Branch

Jaghur's national leader is called the Prime Jaghuran, a cross between Prime Minister and President. The Prime Jaghuran presides over the Jaghurian Ministry and Senate. As was mentioned, the Prime Jaghuran is usually the deciding factor in introducing a new law. The Prime Jaghuran is elected by the people and can serve up to three terms (each term is three years long) in office. The only exception is in the event of international crisis. Once the problem is solved, a new Prime Jaghuran will be elected. The Prime Jaghuran can be impeached in accordance with national law. Otherwise, the duties of the Prime Jaghuran mimic those of a President and/or Prime Minister. The current Prime Jaghuran is John W Ralanson.

The Jaghurian Ministry

The Jaghurian Ministry performs the duties of what a presidential cabinet would, but in addition they endorse official documents, such as declarations of war. The following are the current Ministers:

  • Saul Basing - Minister of the State and Domestic Affairs (also the Official Secretary to the Prime Jaghuran)
  • Robert Kruger - Minister of Foreign Affairs
  • Andrew Thurston - Minister of Defense
  • Elias Koltr - Minister of Education
  • Henry Weston - Minister of Commerce and the Economy
  • Thomas Bartlett - Minister of Law Enforcement
  • Charles Dommer - Minster of Transportation
  • Michael Petrus - Minister of Labor
  • Paul Oldin - Minister of Health and Human Services
  • Frederick Dunan - Minister of the Environment and Agriculture

Regional Governors

Regional Governors are elected by the people and perform duties similar to those performed by the Prime Jaghuran. They are not, however, Regional Delegates, and do not represent their region in the way Regional Delegates do.

Order

Local governments answer to the Regional Governors answer to the Regional Delegates answer to the Jaghurian Senate answer to the Jaghurian Ministry answer to the Prime Jaghuran.

Geography

Physical Map of Jaghur

Economy

Jaghur's economy is based around business and industry. As a result, business laws are fairly lax; however, there are several laws that are strictly enforced, such as anti-trust and minimum wage laws. Most of Jaghur's businesses do not outsource, accounting for more job opportunities for the citizens of Jaghur. The unemployment rate is low, and those that aren't employed are, for the most part, younger citizens (roughly 16-18 years old).

The government devotes 39% of its expenditures to Law and Order, with Defense at 34% in second, and Education at 14% in third. The GDP is m$101,461,674,726,109.95, and the GDP per capita is m$35,763.72. (m$ = mirons, the national currency)

Jaghurian Armed Forces (JAF)

  • Commander-in-Chief: Jonathan "Jack" Greyson
  • Active Personnel: 5,000,000 (est.)
  • Reserve Personnel: 4,000,000 (est.)

Republic of Jaghur's Army (RJA)

Republic of Jaghur's Navy (RJN)

Jaghurian National Naval Air Force (JNNAF)

Jaghurian National Air Force (JNAF)

The Special Forces

Other Divisions

Military Ranks

Demographics and Culture

The people of Jaghur are primarily Caucasian (primarily of American or Western European descent) with only slight variations, although there are good-sized Hispanic communities within most of the larger coastal cities, with Téjuan containing the largest. This is due in part to the fact that Jaghurian citizens are nationalistic, leading to limited contact within the international community, and because there are strict rules regarding immigration that make it nigh impossible for illegal aliens to enter the country and fairly difficult for legal aliens to enter the country. The average height of a 30 year old male is six feet, for a female, five feet, five inches. Life expectancy for males is 75, females 81. The dominant hair and eye colors are brown and green, respectively. Birth rate and death rates are moderate.

The citizens of Jaghur are known to have a relaxed and calm attitude towards life. They enjoy what gives them the most pleasure, and work hard at their respective professions.